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Reminiscences  of  Chicago 
During  the  Civil  War 


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Reminiscences 

of  Chicago  During  the 

Civil  War 

WITH   AN   INTRODUCTION 

BY 

MABEL  McILVAINE 


€f)t  HaUEsiiJE  press,  Cfticago 

R.  R.  DONNELLEY  &  SONS  COMPANY 
CHRISTMAS,  MCMXIV 


pnUi^^tv^'  J^rcface 


THIS  year's  volume  of  The  Lakeside 
Classics  continues  the  printing  of  mate- 
rial bearing  upon  Chicago's  history.  It 
has  not  been  the  purpose  to  publish  in  serial 
form  a  complete  history  of  Chicago,  but  rather 
to  give  to  the  reader  brief,  intimate  glimpses 
of  life  in  Chicago  during  its  various  stages 
of  development,  leaving  the  consecutive  and 
complete  relation  to  the  serious  historian. 
This  year  the  subject  matter  has  been  drawn 
from  the  days  immediately  preceding,  and 
during  the  early  part  'if  the  Civil  War.  To-day 
the  minds  of  all  of  us  are  filled  with  the  terrible 
cataclysm  of  the  European  War;  the  years  of 
plotting  and  counterplotting  of  diplomats,  so 
that  none  of  us  can  say  with  authority  what 
are  its  real  causes,  except  that  they  are  sordid; 
and  the  cruel  preparedness  that  resulted  in  a 
great  battle  within  a  week  of  the  declaration 
of  war.  The  following  pages  will  bring  to  our 
minds,  by  contrast,  how  clearly  the  Civil  War 
was  the  spontaneous  uprising  of  a  people  to  a 
great  moral  issue,  and  why,  through  the  abso- 
lute lack  of  a  military  spirit  or  preparedness  it 
took  four  years  to  weld  clerks  and  workingmen 
and  farmers  and  school  boys  into  a  victorious 
army.      Nor  do  many  of  us  of  the  present  gen- 


LIB  SETS 


^ul)li0l)cr.si'  5?rcface 


eration  realize  how  large  a  party  of  outspoken 
opposition  the  President  had  to  fight  through- 
out the  North.  The  fact  that  in  spite  of  it 
the  war  was  carried  through  to  a  conclusion, 
which  all  now  admit  was  to  the  advancement 
of  human  rights,  ought  to  be  a  lesson  (if 
anyone  will  ever  learn  wisdom  from  others'  ex- 
perience) that  free  speech  even  in  times  of 
national  peril  never  crushes,  but  often  advances 
and  makes  more  readily  accepted  the  truth. 

The  publishers  are  under  great  obligation  to 
Mr.  Ogden  T.  McClurg  for  allowing  them  to 
print  that  portion  of  the  unpublished  memoirs 
of  his  father,  ( General  Alexander  C.  McClurg, 
of  the  Civil  War,  which  bears  upon  the  recruit- 
ing of  his  company  in  Chicago. 

Tlie  balance  of  the  articles  have  all  appeared 
in  print  before,  either  in  books,  pamphlets,  or 
newspapers,  but  have  been  collected  and  sifted 
out  by  the  intelligent  and  diligent  efforts  of 
the  editor.  Miss  Mabel  Mcllvaine. 

It  hardly  seems  necessar}'  to  mention  once 
more  that,  as  in  past  years,  the  book  is  the 
product  of  the  boys  in  the  School  for  Appren- 
tices of  The  Lakeside  Press,  which  is  now  in 
its  seventh  year.  The  little  volume  goes  forth 
as  a  messenger  of  Cliristmas  good  wishes  to 
the   friends  and  pations  of 

THE    PUBLISHERS. 
Christmas,    1914. 


ContentjJ 


PAGE 

Introduction xi 

Chicago  in  the  Civil  War  ....       i 

A  Bird's-eye  View  of  Chicago  in  the  Civil 
War,  by  Frederick  Francis  Cook;  re- 
printed from  "Bygone  Days  in  Chicago," 
by  courtesy  of  A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co. 

Ellsworth's  Zouaves 15 

Paper  read  at  a  meeting  of  the  Survivors 
of  the  United  States  Zouave  Cadets,  by 
Henry  H.  Miller,  at  the  residence  of 
Colonel  Edwin  L.  Brand,  1918  Michigan 
Avenue. 

The  Chicago  Convention     ....     41 

Report  of  the  Republican  Convention,  of 
i860  by  Dr.  Humphrey  H.  Hood,  in 
The  Fi-i-c-  Prt'ss  of  Hillsboro,  Illinois. 
From  the  Transactions  of  the  Illinois 
Historical  Society. 

The  Cairo  Expedition 51 

The  Cairo  Expedition,  and  the  obtaining  of 
arms  for  the  Illinois  troops.  Paper  read 
before  the  Chicago  Historical  Society, 
by  Augustus  Harris  Burley,  at  its  annual 
meeting,  1890. 

War  Excitement  in  Chicago    .     .     .68 

Extract  from  "The  Story  of  My  Life,"  by 
Mary  A.  Livermore. 

\'ii 


Content^ 

The  War  Spirit  in  Chicago      ...     71 

Extract  from  The  Chicago  Triliune,  Tues- 
day, April  23,  1861. 

A  University  Volunteer      ....     79 

An  Untold  Chapter  in  Evanston's  History, 
as  related  by  General  John  A.  Page,  who 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  was  a 
student  in  Northwestern  University. 

American  Volunteer  Soldier   ...     97 
Extract  from  the  unpublished   memoir  of 
General  Alexander  C.  McClurg. 

Suppression  of  the  Timics    .     .     .     -151 

Reprinted  from"Bygone  Days  in  Chicago," 
by  Frederick  Francis  Cook,  by  courtesy 
of  A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co. 

HisiORV  OF  Camp  Douglas   .     .     .     .161 

Paper  read  before  the  Chicago  Historical 
Society  by  William  Bross,  June  i8,  1878. 


Introduction 


gintrotiuction 


If  we  were  compiling  a  book  on  the  Civil 
War  in  Chicago,  we  should  have  to  begin  with 
the  Underground  Railroad,  the  passage  of  John 
Brown  through  the  city  under  safe  conduct  of 
Allen  Pinkerton,  and  the  like,  with  a  full  roll- 
call  of  all  the  splendid  array  of  troops  that 
went  forth  from  the  city.  But  since  we  are 
not  thinking  so  much  about  war  as  about  the 
life  in  Chicago  during  the  war,  we  have  taken 
the  liberty  of  speaking  of  things  warlike  and 
unwarlike. 

'  'This  war, ' '  said  The  London  Times ^  of 
November  3,  1863,  "has  brought  the  levity 
of  the  American  character  out  in  bold  relief. 
There  is  something  saddening,  indeed  revolting, 
in  the  high  glee,  real  or  affected,  with  which 
the  people  here  look  upon  what  ought  to  be, 
at  any  rate,  a  grievous  national  calamity." 
With  unfeeling  "levity"  The  Chicago  Tribune 
on  October  8th  of  the  same  year  had  remarked 
that:  "On  every  street  and  avenue  one  sees 
new  buildings  going  up,  immense  stone,  brick, 
and  iron  business  blocks,  marble  palaces,  and 
new  residences  everywhere;  the  grading  of 
streets,  the  building  of  sewers,  and  laying  of 
water  and  gas  pipes  are  all  in  progress  at  the 
same  time.      The  unmistakable  signs  of  active. 


^Fntrotiuction 


thriving  trade  are  everywlicre  manifest,  not  at 
any  particular  point,  but  everywhere  tliroughout 
the  city,  where  the  enterprise  of  man  can  gain 
a  foothold."  The  population  of  Chicago  went 
up  from  109,000  to  178,000  during  the  four 
years  of  the  war,  and  other  signs  of  "levity" 
were  the  popularity  of  grand  opera,  of  such 
actors  as  Booth,  Forrest,  Hackett,  and  Laura 
Keene,  not  to  say  Tom  Thumb  and  Wood's 
Museum.  In  private  life  tableaux  vivaiits 
were  much  in  vogue,  together  with  photograph 
albums,  flower  shows,  croquet,  ice-skating.  New 
Year's  calls,  and  other  frivolities. 

Before  engaging  in  battle,  we  are  told,  it  is 
customary  to  take  an  observation  from  some 
elevated  point,  and  this  is  afforded  in  the 
"Bird's  Eye  View  of  Chicago,"  extracted 
from  Mr.  Frederick  Francis  Cook's  Jyvi^one 
JJ>ars  in  C/iicaoo.  Mr.  Cook  enjoyed  the 
triple  advantage,  during  war  time,  of  living 
in  Chicago,  of  being  a  newspaper  reporter,  and 
of  working  first  on  77ir  [oiirjial ^  then  on  The 
Times,  and  then  on  Tlic  Tribiaic.  He  gained 
an  all-round  grasp  of  feeling  and  facts,  and 
when,  some  years  since,  he  came  back  to 
Chicago,  and,  with  the  help  of  the  Chicago 
Historical  Society,  reviewed  the  period,  he  was 
able  to  make  a  book  which  the  native  Chica- 
goan,  even  of  a  later  generation,  recognizes  as 
true  to  the  "hard  facts,"  and  something  more. 

Chicago,  as  we  have  seen,  was  not  at  all  a 
militant  city  at  the  time  the  war  began,  and  yet 


^FntrotJuction 


she  has  the  credit  of  contributing  the  most 
highly  drilled  corps  of  men  in  the  country,  as 
tested  by  actual  competition — ^the  Ellsworth 
Zouaves — -to  the  resources  of  the  army. 
Elmer  E.  Ellsworth,  although  of  good  family 
connections  in  New  York,  was  rather  an 
obscure  young  man  until  a  few  years  before 
the  war,  when,  without  any  knowledge  of  what 
was  coming,  he  set  to  work  to  bring  to  a  higher 
state  of  perfection  the  manual  and  accoutre- 
ments of  a  small  militia  company  in  Chicago. 
To  Major  Henry  H.  Miller,  of  Steamboat 
Springs,  Colo.,  late  of  the  77th  Illinois, 
Company  A,  we  are  indebted  for  what  seems  to 
be  the  most  complete  account  of  the  Ellsworth 
Zouaves  and  their  great  "tour"  of  the  country 
available.  The  Chicago  Historical  Society  pos- 
sesses the  blue  and  gold  banner  which  they  were 
awarded  on  their  return,  the  "Manual  of  Arms" 
which  Ellsworth  devised,  and  many  pictures 
and  letters  connected  with  him.  Shortly  before 
the  war  Ellsworth  had  gone  to  study  law  in 
Lincoln's  office,  accompanied  him  to  Wash- 
ington, drilled  the  New  York  Fire  Zouaves, 
and,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  was  the  first 
officer  to  be  killed, — -literally  for  the  flag.  It 
would  seem  that  his  life  was  thrown  away, 
that  he  really  had  no  part  in  the  war.  But  in 
Chicago  he  had  established  a  standard  of 
rectitude  coupled  with  athletics  which  the 
succeeding  generations  have  felt  to  be  unique, 
and  his  men,  dispersed  throughout  the  army, 


^TntrotJuction 


had   an   influence  as   drill-masters  which    was 
incalculable. 

"Our  government  rests  in  public  opinion. 
Whoever  can  change  public  opinion  can  change 
the  government  practically  so  much.  Public 
opinion  on  any  subject  always  has  a  'central 
idea'  from  which  all  its  minor  thoughts  radiate. 
That  'central  idea'  in  our  political  opinion  at 
the  beginning  was,  and  until  recently  has  con- 
tinued to  be,  'the  equality  of  man.'  Let 
bygones  be  bygones;  let  party  differences  as 
nothing  be;  and  with  a  steady  eye  on  the  real 
issue,  let  us  reinaugurate  the  good  old  'central 
idea'  of  the  republic.  We  can  do  it.  'J'he 
human  heart  is  with  us;  God  is  with  us."  No 
need  to  tell  the  reader  whose  voice  it  is  that 
speaks  in  these  words.  Five  years  before  the 
war,  at  the  Republican  banquet  in  Chicago 
following  the  presidential  campaign,  December 
10,  1856,  Abraham  Lincoln  thus  expressed  the 
political  creed  from  which  he  never  departed. 
Had  his  fellow  countrymen  all  bceti  able  to 
reach  the  same  opinion  at  that  time  there  had 
been  no  Civil  War.  By  the  debates  with 
Douglas,  Lincoln  further  sought  to  educate 
public  opinion,  and  by  the  time  of  his  election 
had  succeeded  at  least  in  converting  his  bitterest 
opponent,  the  "Little  Giant"  of  Chicago,  and 
in  gaining  the  franchise  of  the  majority.  The 
classic  account  of  the  Chicago  Republican 
Convention  of  i860,  by  which  Abraham  Lincoln 
was  nominated  to  the  presidency,  is  that  of  his 
xiv 


5Fntrotiuction 


friend  and  law  associate,  Isaac  N.  Arnold  of 
Chicago,  but  for  our  purposes  we  have  chosen 
that  of  Dr.  Humphrey  H.  Hood,  a  down-state 
abolitionist,  as  Lincoln  was,  and  through  whose 
honest  countryman's  eyes  we  see  with 
wondering  delight  all  the  glories  of  the 
"Wigwam."  Dr.  Hood  was  afterward  surgeon 
in  the  117th  Illinois  Volunteers,  and  in  the  3rd 
U.  S.  Heavy  Artillery.  His  convention  story 
was  published  in  The  HiUsboro  Free  Piess,  now 
known  as  The  A^eics  Monitor,  of  Litchfield, 
where  Dr.  Hood  lived  until  his  death  in  1 903. 
Lincoln,  although  residing  at  Springfield,  was 
a  frequent  visitor  in  Chicago,  and  only  a 
month  before  his  nomination  came  up  as  one 
of  the  counsel  in  the  "Sandbar  Case,"  involv- 
ing the  ownership  of  accretions  of  land  on  the 
Lake  Front.  Again,  before  starting  for  Wash- 
ington as  President-elect,  he  met  by  appoint- 
ment in  Chicago,  the  Vice-President-elect 
Hannibal  Hamlin  of  Maine,  with  whom  he  had 
never  before  spoken,  and,  with  his  help, 
selected  the  Cabinet  for  the  momentous 
administration. 

The  first  move  on  the  chessboard  of  the 
war  in  the  West  was  the  expedition  to  Cairo, 
the  first  armed  force  going  from  Chicago,  and 
firing  the  first  shot.  The  purpose  of  the  ex- 
pedition was  to  gain  control  of  the  junction  of 
the  Mississippi  and  Ohio  rivers,  which  con- 
verge at  Cairo,  and  prevent  the  cutting  oft" 
of  communication  with  the  Northwest,  as  well 


3Fntrotiuction 


as  to  avert  an  invasion  from  the  Confederate 
States.  Mr.  Augustus  Harris  Burley  of  Chi- 
cago, author  of  TJic  Cairo  Expedition,  which, 
with  the  permission  of  the  Chicago  Historical 
Society,  we  are  reprinting,  was  the  head  of 
the  war  committee  appointed  to  raise  and 
administer  funds  for  the  expedition.  He  was 
afterwards  a  member  of  the  Union  Defence 
Committee.  Treasurer  and  a  trustee  of  the 
Historical  Society  almost  from  its  organization 
in  1856,  his  paper,  read  before  the  Society  in 
1890,  is  of  the  utmost  authority.  Gen.  John 
A.  Page  of  Evanston,  one  of  the  "boys" 
who  went  from  the  campus  of  Northwestern 
University  to  the  mud-banks  of  "Darkest 
Egypt,"  and  who  ended  by  becoming  an  officer 
in  the  3rd  U.  S.  Army  Corps,  recently  con- 
tributed to  The  Evansto)!  Daily  N'eii's  an 
account  of  his  experiences,  and  we  are  giving 
them  here,  with  regret  that  we  cannot  also 
include  those  of  Dr.  Allen  W.  Gray  of 
Chicago,  who  also  went  from  Northwestern, 
so  precipitately  as  to  forget  to  say  good-bye  to 
his  sweetheart.  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Livermore,  in 
her  Sto)-y  of  A[y  Life,  has  given  a  graphic 
picture  of  the  pulling  out  of  the  first  train  of 
troops,  and  we  all  know  what  she  did  after- 
ward in  the  work  of  the  Sanitary  Commission 
of  the  Northwest. 

Time  and  space  would  fail  us  to  tell  of  all 
the  other  brave  bands,  such  as  the  Highland 
Guards,    the    Mulligan    Guards,    the    Lincoln 


^Fntrotiuction 


Rifles,  the  Sturges  Rifles,  Taylor's  Battery, 
the  Hecker  Regiment,  etc.;  but  a  gUmpse,  as 
in  a  moving  picture,  is  afi'orded  by  an  account 
in  The  Chicago  Tribune  of  April  23,  1 86 1,  of 
Chicago  during  mobilization. 

In  one  of  the  niches  of  the  Chicago  Histori- 
cal Society's  "Hall  of  Fame"  repose  a  blue 
broadcloth  coat,  a  sword,  and  a  book,  together 
with  the  portrait  of  a  slender,  erect  man,  with 
a  glance  like  a  flash  of  steel.  The  coat,  wdiite- 
vested,  and  rather  elegant  in  outline,  is  accom- 
panied with  the  statement  that  it  was  worn  by 
Alexander  C.  McClurg  when  colonel  of  a 
regiment  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga.  On 
the  sword  is  the  inscription:  "Presented  to 
Capt.  A.  C.  McClurg  of  Co.  H.,  88.  Regt.  111. 
Vol.,  by  Friends  in  Chicago,  Aug.  27,  1862," 
followed  by  a  formidable  list  of  battles,  begin- 
ning with  Perryville,  Missionary  Ridge,  Chatta- 
nooga, etc.,  and  ending  with  the  March  to  the 
Sea,  Savannah,  and  Bentonville.  The  book 
is  a  copy  of  Palgrave's  Golden  Treasury  of 
Song,  bound  wath  all  the  magnificence  of  which 
Cobden-Sanderson  is  capable,  and  accompanied 
with  a  statement  of  Gen.  McClurg's  own, 
that  "  For  three  years  this  little  book  was  con- 
stantantly  'at  the  front.'  "  These  objects  tell 
the  tale  of  the  poetry-loving  lad,  snatched 
away  from  a  Chicago  bookstore  as  captain  of 
a  regiment,  and  later  rising  through  the  ranks 
of  the  army  to  that  of  brigadier-general,  to 
emerge,  not  a  military  man,  but  a  book  lover, 


3Fntrotiuction 


as  before  —  with  an  added  alertness  —  to  be- 
come head  of  one  of  the  largest  book  stores 
and  publishing  houses  in  the  country.  For 
the  benefit  of  his  family  he  faithfully  kept  a 
diary  throughout  the  war,  and  subsequently 
prepared  a  manuscript  memoir,  from  which  we 
have  published  that  portion  which  deals  with 
his  enlistment  and  the  organization  of  his 
company.  A  member  of  the  original  company 
when  it  stood  guard  over  the  remains  of 
Douglas, — Commander  Horatio  L.  Wait — in 
his  Diary  concerning  his  experiences  in  the 
U.  S.  Navy,  has  a  list  showing  that  a  large 
proportion  of  this  company  became  officers  in 
other  corps,  and  several.  General  McClurg  and 
himself  among  them.  President  of  the  Chicago 
Literary  Club. 

Finally,  following  the  article  on  The  Sup- 
pression of  the  Times,  already  alluded  to,  we 
have  the  History  of  Ca»ip  Douglas,  first  read 
before  the  Chicago  Historical  Society  on  June 
l8,  1878,  by  our  old  friend,  "Deacon  Bross," 
ex-Lieutenant-Governor  of  Illinois,  patriot, 
public-minded  citizen,  but  unmitigated  hater 
of  "Copperheads."  If  it  were  consistent 
with  truth,  we  should  like  to  omit  the  history 
of  any  prison  from  our  annals.  But  since 
Camp  Douglas  was  an  important  recruiting 
station,  as  well  as  probably  the  largest  of  the 
Northern  prison  camps,  and  since  it  was  an 
integral  part  of  Chicago  life  in  the  sixties,  we 
include  it,  with  apologies  to  the  gentler  sensi- 
xviii 


3Fntrotiuction 


bilities  of  the  present  generation,  which  may 
be  shocked  at  the  expressions  of  the  good 
deacon,  such  as  "venomous  copperheads," 
"maUgnant  reptiles,"  etc. —  all  a  part  of  the 
free  speech  of  his  time,  though  not  indulged 
in  by  all  Northerners.  If  by  such  means  as 
this  we  of  this  generation  may  gain  a  glimpse 
of  what  we  have  escaped,  we  shall  have  learned 
something  from  this  little  volume.  But  at  this 
Christmas  season  and  in  the  present  state  of 
the  world's  history  making,  it  were  well  if  we 
might  also  learn  the  larger  lesson  that  Lincoln 
tried  to  teach  of  "Malice  toward  none,  with 
charity  for  all." 

Mabel  McIlvaine. 


Reminiscences  of  Chicago 
During  the  Civil  War 


Cl^icago  in  tl^e  Citotl  Wat 

[A  Bird's-eye  View  of  Cliicago  in  the  Civil  War, 
by  Frederick  Francis  Cook;  reprinted  from  his 
"Bygone  Days  in  Chicago,"  by  courtesy  of 
A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co.] 


IN  1862,  the  year  of  my  arrival,  Chicago 
had  an  estimated  population  of  120,000, 
distributed  among  its  three  divisions,  both 
as  to  character  and  numbers,  in  about  the  same 
proportion  as  are  to-day  its  approximately 
2,500,000  inhabitants.  The  south  division 
remains  what  it  was  then,  the  business  center; 
but  where  now  are  several  distinct  foci  in  the 
general  maelstrom,  each  comparable  to  the 
original  nucleus,  and  sufficiently  specialized  to 
admit  of  geographical  demarcation,  the  Court 
House  in  those  days  brooked  no  rivals.  With 
its  aspiring  cupola,  it  so  dominated  the  town 
that  none  could  help  looking  up  to  it  as  some- 
thing superior  and  apart — being,  in  fact,  the 
only  really  tall  object  in  sight,  except  when 
"Long  John"  happened  to  be  taking  an  airing. 
If  you  wanted  a  hack  you  went  to  the  Court 
House  Square  for  it;  and  it  was  nearly  the 
same  if  you  were  looking  for  a  policeman,  for 
several  could  generally  be  found  hanging  about 
there  to  prevent  rival  hackmen  from  murdering 
each  other,  or  a  combination  of  the  pestiferous 
I 


iflcminijefccncc^  of  €I)tcago 

crew  from  doing  a  stranger  to  death,  both 
being  not  infrequent  happenings.  Anywhere 
else  a  poHceman  was  seldom  seen — outside  of 
saloons.  But,  frankly,  what  better  could  one 
expect  of  men  content  to  wear  leather  shields 
as  insignia  of  authority.?  In  those  days  the 
force  was  under  a  marshal,  and  that  function- 
ary was  a  mere  satrap  of  the  Mayor.  Accord- 
ingly, in  1857,  when  "Long  John"  came  to 
the  head  of  affairs,  being  determined  that  the 
"copper"  should  not  get  above  his  business, 
he  put  the  adage,  "there  is  nothing  like 
leather,"  to  a  practical  test.  Most  peoj^lc 
are  aware  that  both  "bobby"  and  "peeler," 
as  slang  for  "policeman,"  date  from  Sir  Robert 
Peel's  ministry.  But  it  is  not  so  generally 
known  that  "copper,"  as  another  epithet  of 
derision,  is  claimed  to  date  from  the  mayor- 
alty of  John  C.  Haines,  once  somewhat  widely 
known  as  "Copper-stock"  Haines  (because  of 
some  transaction  in  that  metal),  and  hence  its 
variants  "cop,"  "fly-cop,  "and "sparrow-cop.  " 
In  a  way,  also,  tlie  Court  House  was  every- 
body's monitor  and  guide.  It  told  you  when 
to  rise,  when  to  eat  your  dinner,  when  to 
knock  off  work,  when  to  jubilate,  when  to 
mourn,  and,  above  all,  it  helped  you  to  locate 
fires;  for  the  clang  of  its  great  bell  could  be 
heard  in  almost  every  part  of  the  town.  Aye, 
how  it  rang  p;eans  of  victory  for  Donelson,  for 
Vicksburg,  and  Gettysburg,  and  finally  for 
Richmond,   when   that   stronghold    fell!      And 


€{)ica0o  in  tJ)e  €Ml  Wat 

how  its  slow,  solemn  monotone  voiced  the 
anguish  of  all  hearts,  when  the  body  of  the 
slain  Lincoln  was  borne  through  the  shrouded 
streets  of  the  mourning  city,  to  rest  for  a  day 
and  a  night  beneath  the  dome  of  the  city's 
capitol,  that  a  stricken  people  might  once  more 
look  upon  the  transfigured  face  of  their  be- 
loved dead!  And,  finally,  how  it  clanged,  and 
clanged,  and  clanged  again,  on  that  fearful 
night  of  fire,  each  stroke  heightening  the  terror 
that  possessed  the  fleeing  multitude,  while  the 
"fiend"  that  lashed  the  elements  to  such 
boundless  fury,  compelled  it  to  sound  its  own 
death  knell. 

In  1862,  the  Court  House  Square  was  sur- 
rounded by  an  oddly  assorted  architectural 
hodgepodge,  strikingly  typical  of  the  various 
stages  of  the  city's  development,  from  the  primi- 
tive "frame"  of  the  thirties,  to  the  new,  six- 
storied  marble  Sherman  House,  at  this  time  the 
finest  building  in  the  city,  as  well  as  one  of  the 
best  appointed  hotels  in  the  country.  Because 
of  the  panic  of  1857,  and  the  subsequent  war, 
the  Chicago  of  this  period  represents  a  status 
quo  of  nearly  a  full  decade.  Thereafter,  from 
1865,  down  to  the  time  of  the  fire,  the  city 
was  in  an  exceptional  state  of  flux,  and  so 
much  of  the  dilapidation  of  former  days  dis- 
appeared, that  it  was  in  quite  a  large  way  a 
comparatively  new  downtown  Chicago  that 
was  destroyed  on  October  9,  1 871. 

Where  Washington  Street  bounds  the  Court 
3 


iilcmhu^cntcc^  of  Cl)icago 

House  Square  (then  enclosed  by  a  hi^^h  iron 
fence),  there  remained  down  to  1864  nearly 
a  block  of  original  prairie,  a  dozen  feet  below 
the  plank  sidewalk;  and  when,  in  1863,  the 
plot  was  tenanted  by  a  winter  circus,  its  patrons 
descended  to  their  seats  as  into  a  cellar. 
When,  in  the  middle  sixties,  the  building  boom 
set  in.  Smith  &  Nixon  erected  on  the  site 
now  occupied  by  the  Chicago  Opera  House, 
a  fine  Music  Hall,  which  was  opened,  if  I  am 
not  mistaken,  with  a  concert  by  Gottschalk. 
Among  other  events  I  recall  as  taking  place 
therein  was  a  state  billiard  tournament,  wherein 
Tom  Foley,  the  veritable  stand-by  of  to-day, 
won  the  State  championship, —  a  circumstance 
which  throws  a  calcium  light  on  the  status  of 
the  game  at  that  period;  a  concert  by  "Blind 
Tom";  and  a  lecture  by  William  Lloyd  Garri- 
son, on  "Reconstruction." 

In  marked  contrast  to  the  vacant  plot,  and 
neighboring  it  on  the  corner  of  La  Salle  Street, 
stood  one  of  the  tallest  steepled  churches  in 
the  city,  the  First  Baptist.  This,  in  1864, 
was  taken  down  bit  by  bit  and  reconstructed 
on  its  present  site,  Morgan  and  Monroe  streets, 
there  becoming  the  Second  Baptist.  In  its 
place  rose  Chicago's  first  fine  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  to  be  followed  after  the  fire  by  a 
second  trade-temple  of  similar  dimensions,  only 
the  outer  walls  of  which  now  remain,  as  the 
substructure  to  a  skyscraper. 

The  southwest  corner,  across  La  Salle 
4 


Cfjicago  in  tlje  €Ml  Wat 

Street  from  the  Baptist  Church,  calls  for  special 
mention.  It  was  at  this  time  occupied  by  a 
brick  building  of  two  stories  and  basement, 
among  the  first  dwellings  of  that  material 
erected  in  Chicago.  It  was  originally  the  home 
of  P.  F.  W.  Peck,  and  before  it  was  demol- 
ished, about  1867,  after  a  somewhat  checkered 
existence,  it  had  been  some  years  the  head- 
quarters of  the  police  department,  with  a 
calaboose  in  the  basement. 

The  old  landmark  was  succeeded  by  one  of 
the  finest  buildings  in  the  city,  with  the  Union 
National  Bank  for  its  chief  tenant.  After  the 
fire  the  bank  was  temporarily  domiciled  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  Market  and  Madison 
streets,  which  one-sided  locality — with  Field, 
Leiter  &  Co.'s  establishment,  both  wholesale 
and  retail,  on  the  northeast  corner,  and  the 
Board  of  Trade  opposite — became  for  a  time 
the  business  focus  of  the  city.  Within  a  year 
or  so,  the  old  Peck  residence  site  was  rehabili- 
tated with  an  even  more  substantial  building 
than  the  one  destroyed;  and  so  this  intersection, 
when  the  Cham.ber  of  Commerce  had  been 
rebuilt,  became  once  again  the  city's  chief 
business  center.  In  addition  to  the  Union 
National  Bank,  then  the  leading  financial  insti- 
tution in  the  West,  the  new  building  accommo- 
dated the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company, 
the  Associated  Press,  the  Western  Army  Head- 
quarters (in  charge  of  General  Philip  Sheridan), 
another  bank,   and  many  important   interests 

5 


jUcmiiii^cence^  of  €f)icago 

besides.  Nevertheless,  though  of  goodly  size, 
this  structure  was  in  1 893  ruthlessly  razed  to 
give  place  to  the  present  Stock  Exchange 
building.  Thus,  in  its  various  stages,  this 
corner  has  been  pre-eminently  typical  of  the 
city's  vicissitudes  and  progress;  while  the  fre- 
quent changes  in  its  physical  aspect  emphasize 
the  difficulties  of  the  chronicler  in  undertaking 
to  reproduce  with  certitude  any  particular 
epoch  in  the  city's  physical  history. 

Besides  the  Sherman  House  and  the  Baptist 
Church,  almost  the  only  other  salient  feature 
on  the  four  fronts  facing  the  Square  was  the 
Larmon  Block  of  four  stories,  on  the  northeast 
corner  of  Washington  and  Clark  streets,  hav- 
ing for  its  tenant  on  the  upper  floor  Bryant 
&  Stratton's  Business  College,  a  fact  that 
was  announced  to  the  wayfarer  by  a  sign  so 
conspicuous  as  almost  to  belittle  the  Court 
House  dome  as  an  object  of  attention.  The 
ground  floor  was  occupied  by  J.  T.  &  E.  M. 
Edwards,  jewelers;  Julius  Bauer,  pianos; 
J.  M.  Loomis,  hatter;  Root  &  Cady's  music 
store,  and  Buck  &  Raynor's  drug  store.  Others 
on  Clark  Street  facing  the  S([uare,  and  run- 
ning north  in  the  order  noted,  were:  Ambrose 
&  Jackson  (colored),  caterers;  Bryan  Hall 
entrance;  George  Tolle,  surgical  instruments; 
E.  J.  Hopson,  millinery;  "Anderson's"  (a 
restaurant  presided  over  by  John  Wright,  who 
a  few  years  later  opened  in  Crosby's  Opera 
House  the  first  really  "swell"  resort  in  the 
6 


Cl^icaffo  in  tfje  Cibil  W^t 

city);  "Campbell's,"  hair  jewelry;  J.  Gray, 
wigs;  E.  A.  Jessell,  auctioneer  (a  "Peter 
Funk,"  if  ever  there  was  one);  while  on  the 
corner  of  Randolph  there  lingered  a  senile 
frame  construction,  in  color  a  dirty  yellow,  on 
the  second  floor  of  which  Carter  H.  Harrison, 
Sr.,  along  with  other  luminaries,  devoted  him- 
self to  the  acquisition  and  exudation  of  lore 
more  or  less  legal. 

On  Randolph  Street,  corner  of  La  Salle, 
stood  a  four-story  brick,  and  all  the  rest  of  the 
block  between  that  and  the  Sherman  House 
presented  a  depressed  line  of  two-story  tumble- 
down frames,  dating  from  the  thirties,  the 
street  floors  devoted  to  free-lunch  resorts, 
while  the  second  stories  were  polluted  by  so- 
called  "justice"  offices,  and  their  "shyster" 
hangers-on. 

In  general  it  may  be  said  that  only  the  Clark 
Street  frontage  of  the  four  sides  of  the  Square 
was  in  touch  with  business — all  the  rest  being 
as  much  out  of  it  as  the  unsettled  prairie. 
The  La  Salle  Street  side  was  made  up  largely 
of  forsaken  residences;  and  it  was  not  until 
several  years  later,  when  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce was  established  at  Washington  and 
La  Salle,  that  the  region  thereabout  came  into 
demand  for  business  purposes — though  when 
it  did,  it  jumped  at  one  bound  into  the  front 
rank. 

The  Metropolitan  Block,  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  La  Salle  and  Randolph  streets,  was 
7 


iHciTiini^ccnce^  of  Cl)icago 

a  somewhat  notable  landmark.  Metropolitan 
Hall  on  its  third  or  upper  floor,  was  prior  to 
the  building  of  Bryan  Hall  (about  i860)  for 
many  years  the  most  capacious  place  of 
assembly  in  the  city,  and  many  notabilities, 
not  only  of  national  but  international  fame,  had 
attracted  crowds  within  its  walls.  Often  it 
was  decked  and  garlanded  for  fairs  and  balls; 
and  it  was  here  (not  so  very  long  before  the  big 
fire  in  which  he  lost  his  life)  that  John  McDevitt, 
he  of  the  velvet  touch,  played  the  famous 
game  of  billiards,  1,500  points  up  against 
Joseph  Dion,  which  he  finished  while  his 
opponent  had  hardly  a  button  to  his  credit, 
with  a  run  of  1,457  —  a  feat  that  forced  the 
"sharps"  to  put  their  heads  together,  led  to 
the  barring  of  the  push  shot  and  other  helps 
to  big  records,  and  so  put  the  game  for  cham- 
pionship honors  on  an  entirely  new  basis. 
And  in  the  basement  of  the  block  there  was 
then,  and  had  been  for  many  years,  as  there  is 
still,  a  "Quincy  No.  9,"  a  rehc  of  the  days 
when  the  boys  "ran  wid  de  masheen,"  and 
which,  during  its  more  than  half  a  century  of 
existence,  had  scored  an  unexampled  record 
of  continuous  performance. 

Let  us  now  ascend  the  dome  of  the  Court 
House.  The  climb  is  not  so  wearisome  in 
fancy  as  in  the  olden  days  it  was  in  fact,  when 
it  was  a  favorite  youthful  diversion.  Near 
the  top  we  shall  find  a  circular  balcony,  specially 
designed  for  sight-seeing,  and  let  that  be  our 


CJjicago  in  tlje  Cibil  Wat 

place  of  observation.  In  an  atmosphere  as  yet 
undetiled  by  the  soot  of  ten  thousand  factories, 
a  pleasing  panorama  unfolds  itself.  Naturally 
you  are  amazed  to  note  how  clearly  the 
sand  hills  of  Michigan,  beyond  the  shimmer- 
ing waters  of  the  lake,  thirty  miles  away,  glint 
in  the  sunlight.  Truly  it  would  take  a  miracle 
to  catch  a  glimpse  of  them  now,  even  from 
the  top  of  the  Auditorium  Tower,  except  per- 
chance for  a  moment  after  some  phenomenally 
clearing  storm  from  the  east. 

As  you  gaze  about,  you  may  realize  why 
Chicago  was  once  generally  known  as  the 
"Garden  City."  First  note  those  broad 
stretches  of  lovely  green,  due  to  tree-lined 
Wabash  and  Michigan  avenues,— and  observe 
how  richly  the  neighborhood  of  Cottage  Grove 
Avenue  is  wooded,  and  the  area  of  verdure 
widens  as  you  follow  it  southward  to  Hyde 
Park.  The  building  in  the  midst  of  a  forest 
of  uncommonly  large  oaks,  at  about  Thirty- 
fifth  Street  (then  outside  of  the  city  limits),  is 
the  old  Chicago  university,  founded  by  Stephen 
A.  Douglas,  who  at  the  time  of  his  death  (i86i) 
owned  much  of  the  land  in  its  vicinage. 

Although  the  foreground,  westward,  is  fairly 
inviting  ( for  not  only  are  most  of  the  streets  tree- 
bordered,  but  here  and  there  large,  unoccupied 
spaces  refresh  the  eye  with  their  rich  green), 
it  is  really  not  until  you  turn  fully  to  the  north, 
and  a  bit  to  the  east,  that  a  climax  of  verdure 
is  revealed.  What  we  now  behold  is  a  magnif- 
9 


ll!niimtsfcnicc.£f  of  Cljicago 

icent  natural  forest  in  the  midst  of  a  city, — • 
or  is  it  not  better  to  say  that  the  city  here  plays 
hide  and  seek  in  the  forest?  Either  way,  it  is 
a  dream.  The  noble,  lake-bordered  expanse 
is  divided  into  lordly  domains,  embellished  with 
lovely  gardens.  From  this  height  the  north 
division,  east  of  Clark  Street,  and  to  the  farthest 
limits,  presents  an  unbroken  stretch  of  wood- 
land, as  if  the  Lincoln  Park  of  to-dav  (then  in 
part  a  cemetery,  and  for  the  rest  primeval 
forest)  came  down  to  North  Water  Street. 
Not  only  is  every  street  shaded,  but  entire 
wooded  squares  contain  each  only  a  single 
habitation,  usually  near  its  center,  thus  ena- 
bling their  fortunate  owners  to  live  in  park-like 
surroundings. 

These  spacious  domains  exhibit  a  native 
growth  remarkable  for  its  variety.  The  Hon. 
Isaac  N.  Arnold  is  at  this  period  the  proud 
owner  of  one  of  these  preserves,  acquired  in 
the  thirties  when  this  region  was  first  platted, 
and  when  entire  squares,  at  opportune  times, 
were  bought  for  less  than  the  present  value  of 
a  single  lot,  with  fifty  or  more  to  the  square. 
Mr.  Arnold's  plot  retained  much  of  its  original 
aspect  up  to  the  fire,  anrl  he  could  point  out 
among  other  varieties  of  timber  (as  he  loved 
to  do)  fine  specimens  of  oak,  ash,  maple,  cherry, 
elm,  birch,  hickory  and  cottonwood.  And  to 
think  that  in  a  single  night  all  this  wealth  of 
nature  disappeared  as  if  it  had  never  been. 

Others  who  occupied  entire  squares  in  prox- 

10 


Cljicago  in  tl)e  €M\  Wat 

imity  to  Mr.  Arnold,  with  say  Rush  and 
Ontario  streets  as  an  approximate  center,  were 
such  well-known  old-timers  as  ex-Mayor  Wil- 
liam B.  Ogden,  Walter  L.  Newberry,  Mark 
Skinner,  H.  H.  Magie,  and  a  little  farther  north, 
E.  B.  McCaggand  Mahlon  D.  Ogden;  while  the 
detached  mansion  of  many  another  stood  in 
grounds  of  approximate  dimensions. 

Once  again  let  us  sweep  the  horizon  and 
make  a  note  of  salient  features.  South  of 
Twenty-second  Street  (then  known  as  Ring- 
gold Place)  scattered  buildings  mark  the  course 
of  Cottage  Grove  Avenue.  Between  Thirty- 
second  and  Thirty-fifth  streets,  and  running 
about  an  equal  distance  westward  from  the 
avenue,  is  a  high-boarded  enclosure,  filled  with 
temporary  barracks.  In  the  early  days  of  the 
war  this  served  as  a  recruiting  camp,  but  now 
it  holds  in  durance  ten  thousand  or  more 
"Johnny  Rebs, "  corralled  at  Forts  Henry  and 
Donelson,  and  Island  No.  lO. 

Half  a  mile  or  more  west  of  the  camp  is  a 
clearing,  for  the  most  part  owned  by  "Long 
John."  In  a  few  years  a  part  will  become  the 
Chicago  Driving  Park,  with  an  incidental  base- 
ball field.  And  later  still  a  larger  part  will  be 
occupied  by  the  Union  Stock  Yards,  with  the 
Dexter  Trotting  Park  just  south  of  them. 
When  this  happens,  in  the  later  sixties,  much 
of  the  territory  between  the  Stock  Yards  and 
Twenty-second  Street  is  still  unoccupied  prairie, 
but  shortly  the  great  "Long  John  tract"  is 
II 


iUcmini^ceiicc^  of  Cfjicago 

opened  to  settlement,  and  Wentworth  Avenue 
is  extended  through  to  the  west  of  it. 

From  its  beginning  for  nearly  a  mile,  the 
Archer  Road  is  thinly  settled.  Then  come 
clusters  of  large,  low  constructions.  These 
are  either  slaughter  or  packing  houses,  with  a 
glue  factory  and  some  rendering  establishments 
thrown  in  to  heighten  the  malodorous  effect. 
You  are  now  gazing  on  Bridgeport,  a  settle- 
ment beyond  the  corporate  limits.  It  is  a  place 
with  a  reputation.  Both  morally  and  physi- 
cally it  is  a  cesspool,  a  stench  in  everybody's 
nostrils,  especially  when  there  is  a  breeze  from 
the  southwest. 

Except  for  a  fringe  of  structures  along  the 
South  Branch,  the  entire  section  that  lies 
between  Archer  and  Blue  Island  avenues  is 
largely  unsettled  marshland,  in  part  known  to 
old  settlers  as  "Hardscrabble."  The  present 
great  lumber  district,  with  its  teeming  fac- 
tories, is  little  better  than  a  bog.  At  this 
time  the  lumber  yards  are  strung  along  the 
South  Branch,  north  of  Eighteenth  Street,  with 
a  bunch  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  while  grain 
elevators  (though  by  no  means  the  leviathans 
of  to-day)  break  the  skyline  at  different  points 
along  both  the  South  and  North  Branches. 
Our  sweep  has  taken  in  the  source  of  Chicago's 
early  greatness — the  "Big  Three";  for  already 
it  is  able  to  announce  to  an  amazed  world  that 
it  is  the  foremost  grain  mart,  lumber  market, 
and   packing  center  of  the  world.     And  the 


€l)tcago  in  tlje  Ctbil  ^ar 

pride,  that  thereat  swelled  the  collective  Chicago 
bosom,  crops  out  occasionally  in  individual  exhi- 
bitions of  "chestiness"  even  to-day. 

West  of  Aberdeen,  and  south  of  Adams 
Street,  land  is  still  in  the  market  by  the  acre. 
Peter  Schuttler  has  just  domiciled  himself  on 
the  outskirts  in  what  is  the  most  pretentious 
residence  in  the  city — and,  following  the  ex- 
ample of  the  North  Side  gentry,  has  placed 
his  mans'on  in  the  centre  of  extensive  grounds. 
The  region  between  Adams  and  Lake  streets, 
to  Union  Park,  is  fairly  built  up;  but  beyond 
that  point  (best  known  as  Bull's  Head)  the 
habitations  are  few  and  far  between;  yet  the 
horse  cars  are  pushing  to  Western  Avenue,  in 
the  hope  that  population  will  follow,  for  at 
this  period  their  revenue  is  largely  derived 
from  Sunday  pleasure-seekers,  bound  for  vari- 
ous outlying  groves.  The  northwestern  part 
of  the  town  is  still  practically  unsettled,  and 
from  about  Centre  Avenue  and  Lake  Street 
one  can  cut  across  to  Milwaukee  Avenue 
(better  known  as  the  Milwaukee  or  North- 
western Plank  Road)  without  other  obstruction 
than  the  old  Galena  Railroad  track.  On  the 
North  Branch  are  some  tanneries,  and  a  tall 
chimney  marks  the  site  of  Ward's  Rolling 
Mill,  later  to  become  the  nucleus  of  the  huge 
collection  to  be  known  as  the  North  Chicago 
Rolling  Mills.  O.  W.  Potter  is  at  this  time 
Captain  Ward's  superintendent.  In  the  north 
division  the  building  line  halts  at  North  Avenue. 

13 


Jllcitiini^ceiice^  of  Cljicago 

The  site  of  Lincoln  Parte  is  to  remain  for  some 
time  a  most  forbidding  locality,  for  ghosts 
walk  there.  Beyond  lies  thickly  wooded  Lake 
View.  And  it  is  an  off  summer's  day  when 
some  German  society  does  not  hold  a  picnic 
there. 

Before  closing  with  the  general  view,  let  us 
note  the  fact  that  expansion  from  the  main 
nucleus  proceeds  in  narrow  lines  (somewhat 
like  the  spokes  of  a  wheel),  showing  large 
acres  of  unsettled  prairie  between.  These 
settled  lines  mark  the  whereabouts  of  plank 
roads,  known  as  Archer,  Blue  Island,  South 
Western  (now  Ogden  Avenue),  Northwestern 
(now  Milwaukee  Avenue),  Clybourne,  etc. 
Fortunately  these  exits  from  the  early  settle- 
ment were  retained  in  this  subsecjuent  platting, 
and  now  constitute  most  convenient  avenues 
to  facilitate  rapid  transit.  The  first  settlers  in 
the  outlying  lowlands  were  wise  in  sticking 
close  to  what  then  most  resembled  solid  ground, 
for  away  from  planked  roads  danger  lurked  in 
every  rood  of  ground,  and  during  rainy  seasons 
wading  was  a  frequent  alternative  for  walking. 


14 


[Paper  read  at  a  meeting  of  the  Survivors  of  the 
United  States  Zouave  Cadets  by  Henry  H.  Miller, 
at  the  residence  of  Colonel  Edwin  L.  Brand. 
1918  Michigan  Avenue.] 


COLONEL  Ephraim  Elmer  Ellsworth 
was  born  April  11,  1837,  at  Malta, 
Saratoga  County,  New  York.  He  was 
the  eldest  son  of  Captain  Ephraim  D.  Ellsworth, 
who  in  i860  was  living  at  Mechanicsville, 
Saratoga  County,  New  York.  To  distinguish 
himself  from  his  father  he  wrote  his  name 
Elmer  E.  Ellsworth.  He  received  a  good 
common  school  education,  and  at  18,  in  1 85 5, 
he  came  to  Chicago.  He  was  employed  as  a 
clerk  in  the  office  of  Devereaux  of  Salem, 
Massachusetts,  a  solicitor  of  patents.  Mr. 
Devereaux  gave  up  his  business  shortly  after- 
wards, and  young  Ellsworth  commenced  reading 
law,  in  the  meantime  earning  a  scanty  support 
by  what  copying  he  could  find  to  do  in  lawyers' 
offices. 

He  was  a  young  man  of  fine  appearance,  of 
medium  height,  slim,  but  strong  and  compactly 
built,  with  black,  curling  hair,  which  he  always 
wore  rather  long,  and  keen  hazel  eyes.  He 
always  had  quite  a  martial  turn,  and  among 
his  early  boyhood  dreams  was  a  West  Point 
15 


iHanmi^ccttce^  of  Cljicago 

education  and  an  army  career.  As  he  could 
not  obtain  a  cadetship  at  West  Point,  his 
thoughts  naturally  turned  to  the  militia,  as  it 
was  then  found  in  all  cities  of  any  size.  He 
did  not  connect  himself  with  any  company,  but 
turned  his  attention  to  physical  culture  in  the 
gymnasium. 

At  this  time  he  was  exceedingly  poor,  and 
his  struggle  to  maintain  a  respectable  appear- 
ance and  not  go  too  hungry  was  severe,  but  he 
always  considered  that  the  privileges  of  a  well- 
appointed  gymnasium  were  more  desirable  than 
the  luxury  of  a  hotel  or  a  fashionable  boarding- 
house  table.  The  fact  that  he  could  not  afford 
the  expense  of  a  membership  with  any  of  the 
militia  companies,  perhaps,  caused  him  to  be 
critical  of  these  organizations,  as  they  then 
existed,  and  some  memoranda  of  his  plans  for 
better  and  more  effective  militia  organization 
are  still  preserved  by  an  old  friend  in  Chicago. 
They  show  that  he  had  given  the  subject  much 
careful  thought,  and  was  dreaming  of  the  time 
when  he  might  have  enough  influence  to  have 
these  plans  carried  out  for  the  good  of  the 
entire  country. 

The  Crimean  War  in  Europe  was  but  just 
over,  and  the  tales  of  the  efficiency  and  valor 
of  the  French  Zouaves  caused  him  to  make 
comparisons  with  the  heavy  infantry  of  the 
British,  which  was  accoutred  in  the  traditional 
close-fitting  clothes,  high  stocks,  cumbersome 
belts,  and  heavy  equipments.  He  saw  the  pic- 
i6 


<2Elli^tuortl)'j6f  Zoua\jt^ 


tures  in  the  illustrated  papers  of  the  Zouaves  — 
loosely  clad,  with  unconfined  limbs,  and  in 
every  respect  in  "light  marching  order" — scal- 
ing walls,  swarming  over  parapets,  nimble, 
active,  irresistible.  How  much  better  and 
effective  than  the  old  style.  The  Zouaves  were 
small,  but  their  rapid  movements  made  them 
more  than  a  match  for  greater  numbers  of  tall, 
stately  grenadiers  of  the  old  school. 

At  about  this  time  he  became  acquainted 
with  a  Frenchman — Dr.  Chas.  A.  DeVillers — 
from  Algiers,  who  had  seen  service  in  the 
Crimea  with  the  "Chasseurs  D'Afrique,"  and 
with  him  no  doubt  discussed  the  advantages  of 
this  light  infantry.  Dr.  Villers  was  an  expert 
swordsman,  and  Ellsworth  was  one  of  his 
best  pupils. 

With  a  musket  and  a  copy  of  Scott's  and 
Hardee's  "Tactics"  in  his  room  he  studied  out 
improvements  in  the  "Manual  of  Arms"  as 
given  in  these  authorities.  He  was  always 
trying  to  shorten  and  quicken  all  movements, 
sometimes  using  Scott  and  sometimes  Hardee, 
sometimes  a  combination  of  both,  but  always 
striving  to  get  something  more  rapid  and  better 
than  either.  He  practiced  until  he  was  pro- 
ficient. The  same  course  of  revision  and 
change  was  made  in  bayonet  and  skirmish 
drills  as  taught  by  old  authorities.  And  now 
all  that  was  lacking  was  a  company  on  which 
to  try  these  improvements. 

For  several  years  there  had  existed  in  the  city 
17 


i^lcminij^cmceief  of  €f)icago 

a  military  company  of  the  old  school  —  con- 
tinental or  at  least  semi-continental  uniforms — 
broad  crossbelts,  bearskin  hats,  ponderous,  slow 
and  heavy — a  company  of  drum  majors  with 
muskets.  They  drilled  according  to  Scott, 
and  shouldered  arms  with  hand  under  the  butt 
plate.  They  had  learned  all  there  was  in  the 
"Tactics,"  and  having  nothing  new  to  learn 
the  interest  of  their  members  died  out.  Their 
debts  increased,  and  they  went  into  bankruptcy 
in  April,  1859. 

Ellsworth's  great  opportunity  was  at  hand. 
With  the  assistance  of  some  of  the  old  mem- 
bers who  had  seen  him  fence  with  Villers  and 
"sling  a  musket"  in  his  new  "lightning  drill," 
a  new  company  was  organized  on  the  ruins  of 
the  old  "National  Guard  Cadets"  and  called  the 
United  States  Zouave  Cadets,  with  Ellsworth 
commandant.  Their  armory  was  changed  to  the 
Garrett  Block,  where  Central  Music  Hali  now 
stands.  Interest  and  members  increased  from 
the  start,  and  July  4,  1859,  the  Zouaves  gave 
their  first  exhibition  drill  in  front  of  the  Tremont 
House.  Their  new  and  startling  uniforms, 
rapid  movements,  and  brilliant  and  showy 
manual  of  arms  and  bayonet  drill,  captured 
the  spectators,  and  their  popularity  as  a  com- 
pany was  assured. 

At   the   National   Agricultural   Fair  held   in 

Chicago  September  14,  15  and  16,  1859,  the 

company  drilled  for  a  stand  of  colors  and  the 

championship   of   militia.      This  drill   was   on 

18 


oBIl^tDortjj'jS  Zonaht^ 


September  15,  1859.  They  carried  off  the 
colors,  but  as  only  one  company  came  in  com- 
petition with  them  there  was  some  complaint 
from  militia  companies  in  other  cities  at  the 
award  of  the  championship  under  the  circum- 
stances. This  complaint  and  the  Zouaves' 
method  of  meeting  it  furnished  the  cause  of 
all  their  future  efforts,  which  led  to  the  national 
fame  of  Ellsworth  and  his  Zouaves. 

Following  is  the  gauntlet  that  was  thrown 
down: — 

"Chicago,  Sept.  20,  1859.  The  National 
Agricultural  Society  at  their  seventh  annual 
fair  awarded  to  the  United  States  Zouave 
Cadets  of  Chicago  a  stand  of  champion  colors, 
which  any  company  of  militia  or  of  the  regular 
army  of  the  United  States  or  Canada  are  wel- 
come to  if  they  can  win  them  in  fair  contest. 
For  terms  of  drill,  etc.,  apply  to 

E.  E.  Ellsworth, 
Col.  Comdg.  U.  S.  Zouave  Cadets." 

The  company  was  much  criticised  by  the 
press  of  the  entire  country  for  its  audacity  and 
presum.ption  in  issuing  such  a  challenge  to 
older  and  presumably  better  drilled  companies. 
Regular  army  officers  and  officers  of  companies 
in  old  Eastern  cities — and  especially  of  New 
York — were  particularly  sneering  in  their  wide- 
ly published  remarks,  and  as  for  Southern 
cities,  it  was  to  them  almost  a  declaration  of 
war,  and  was  answered  in  their  usual  fire- 
eating  style. 

19 


i!enimi^ceiicc^  of  €l)ica0o 

The  Zouaves  met  at  their  armory,  and  re- 
solved not  only  to  stand  by  their  challenge,  but  to 
make  it  still  stronger,  and  a  supplementary  one 
was  issued,  which  was  in  substance  as  follows: — 

They  would  bind  themselves  to  pay  the  entire 
expenses,  including  railroad  fares  to  and  from 
the  contest,  of  any  company  in  the  United 
States  or  Canada  that  would  come  to  Chicago 
and  win  the  colors  at  any  time  most  convenient 
between  then  and  June  20,  i860,  at  which 
time  they  proposed  to  start  on  a  tour  to  all  the 
principal  cities  of  the  country,  where  they 
would  meet  and  drill  with  anv  company  that, 
for  any  reason,  could  not  come  to  Chicago  in 
acceptance  of  the  former  terms  and  challenge. 

"Further,  if  the  colors  are  retained  by  us  we 
shall  claim  for  the  City  of  Chicago  and  the 
State  of  Illinois  the  honor  of  military  champion- 
ship of  the  United  States  and  Canada." 

It  was  now  agreed  by  all  the  company  that 
no  efforts  in  the  way  of  hard  and  continuous 
drill,  and  strictest  and  most  exacting  discipline, 
should  be  spared  to  carry  out  their  resolve  to 
defend  their  colors  and  save  them  from  cap- 
ture. The  rules  which  each  member  was 
required  to  subscribe  to  and  keep  on  pain  of 
instant  expulsion  from  the  company  show  this 
and  are  here  given.  They  are  as  much  a  "new 
departure"  in  rules  for  military  companies  as 
were  their  uniforms  and  style  of  drill.  They 
were  drawn  up  by  Ellsworth,  and  adopted  by 
the  company  as  follows: — • 
20 


€lI^tDort{)'^  Zom\}t^ 


"Whereas,  we  are  desirous  of  uniting 
together  as  an  organization,  which  will  give  us 
an  opportunity  of  gaining  that  exercise  and 
relaxation  necessary  to  all,  and  at  the  same 
time  be  a  source  of  improvement,  not  only 
physically,  but  morally  free  from  all  the  objec- 
tions usually  urged  against  military  companies; 
and, 

"Whereas,  we  are  convinced  that  organiza- 
tions of  this  kind,  as  at  present  constituted, 
cannot  be  made  to  answer  these  ends, 

"Resolved,  that  from  the  date  of  these 
resolutions  the  following  shall  be,  and  are 
declared,  offenses  against  our  organization, 
punishable  by  expulsion,  publication  in  the 
Chicago  papers  of  the  offender's  name  and 
forfeiture  of  his  uniform  and  equipments  to 
the  company: — 

"I.  Entering  a  drinking  saloon  at  any  hour, 
dav  or  night,  except  when  compelled  by  im- 
perative business  which  cannot  be  transacted 
by  proxy,  in  which  case  a  statement  of  the 
facts  must  be  made  to  the  company  immedi- 
ately after  its  occurrence. 

"2.  Entering  a  house  of  ill-fame  under  any 
circumstances  or  pretext  whatever. 

"3.  Entering  a  gambling  saloon,  or  gam- 
bling for  any  sum  of  money  or  article,  under 
any  circumstances  or  pretext. 

"4.  Playing  billiards  in  any  public  hall  or 
saloon.  This  is  interdicted,  not  because  of 
any  objection  to  the  game  as  an  elegant 
21 


Jflcmini^catrc^  of  Cljicajo 

amusement  to  those  who  can  afford  it,  but 
because  for  a  young  man  it  is  a  step  towards 
the  other  offenses  named,  and  the  excitement 
and  associations  of  the  bilHard  saloon  naturally 
lead  to  drinking. 

"Resolved,  that  as  it  is  the  first  duty  of 
every  cadet  to  avoid  any  temptation  to  break 
the  rules,  so  it  is  his  second,  when  any  infrac- 
tion of  them  comes  to  his  knowledge,  to  report 
the  same  to  the  company  in  the  manner  de- 
scribed in  Sec.  12,  company  regulations,  and 
that  they  may  take  such  action  as  will  guard 
against  repetition  of  the  offense.  Therefore, 
when  it  is  proved  that  any  cadet  has  been 
cognizant  of  any  infraction  of  these  rules  and 
has  not  communicated  the  same  to  the  com- 
pany, he  shall  receive  the  same  penalty  as  the 
delinquent. 

"Resolved,  that  as  the  want  of  occupation 
and  amusement  is  the  chief  cause  of  dissipation, 
we  will  at  once  complete  our  reading  and  chess 
rooms,  and  add  by  every  means  in  our  power 
to  the  attractions  of  our  armory. 

"Resolved,  that  hereafter,  in  the  event  of 
sickness  of  one  of  our  members,  we  will,  if 
circumstances  require  it,  take  care  of  him  and 
afford  him  all  the  assistance  in  our  power. 

"Resolved,  that  each  member  provide  him- 
self, as  soon  as  possible,  with  a  badge,  consisting 
of  a  gold  star  shield,  with  a  tiger's  head  in  the 
center  and  name  of  corps  engraved  on  the 
star,  which  will  be  worn  conspicuously  on  the 
22 


cn^tDortl)'^  Zouatyc^ 


breast  or  watch  chain,  so  that  the  pubhc  may 
know  them  as  cadets  and  judge  for  themselves 
of  the  manner  in  which  the  foregoing  resolu- 
tions are  observed. 

"Resolved,  that  in  case  of  any  of  our  mem- 
bers losing  his  situation,  each  member  of  the 
corps  shall  be  bound  to  make  all  reasonable 
effort  to  procure  him  employment,  and  if  his 
necessities  require  it  he  shall,  as  long  as  he 
remains  in  good  standing  and  out  of  employ- 
ment, receive  from  the  company  an  allowance 
weekly,  sufficient  for  his  subsistence. 

"In  adopting  these  rules  we  are  aware  of 
the  responsibility  we  assume  and  that  we  run 
the  risk  of  diminishing  to  some  extent  the 
strength  of  our  company,  but  we  are  convinced 
that  any  of  our  members  who  has  not  the 
moral  courage  and  self  respect  to  live  up  to 
these  principles,  has  not  stamina  sufficient  to 
be  a  credit  to  our  corps,  and  while  we  will  use 
all  reasonable  efforts  to  induce  all  the  men 
to  remain  with  us  and  others  to  join  in  the 
hope  of  extending  the  benefits  of  these  princi- 
ples, yet  rather  than  depart  in  the  slightest 
degree  from  these  rules  we  will  part  from 
them,  although  it  reduces  our  company  to  a 
dozen  men." 

February  2,  i860,  the  final  preparations  to 
get  the  company  in  perfect  readiness  for  their 
tour  among  the  large  cities  of  the  country  com- 
menced. The  following  is  on  the  records  of 
the  company: — 

2i 


Itmiini^cnice^  of  Cfjicago 

"Colonel  Ellsworth  addressed  the  company 
at  length  on  the  subject  of  program  for  the 
ensuing  six  months.  He  said  in  substance: 
Having  decided  to  make  the  tour  they  must 
give  up  everything,  except  business  and  the 
company.  All  visits  to  the  theaters,  calls 
on  friends,  parties,  etc.,  must  be  sacrificed. 
Every  evening,  Sundays  excepted,  must  be 
devoted  to  drill  from  seven  to  eleven,  from 
now  until  the  20th  of  June,  besides  several 
days  must  be  spent  in  field  practice  and  skir- 
mish drill.  A  vote  sustained  Colonel  Ells- 
worth's views." 

Requirements  of  the  drill  were  exceedingly 
strict,  and  short  work  was  made  of  those  who 
failed  to  comply  with  all  the  rules.  From  the 
time  of  organization  until  the  start  on  the  tour 
over  two  hundred  musters  were  on  the  rolls  of 
the  company  and  only  forty-seven  of  them 
"carrying  a  knapsack"  remained  faithful  to 
the  end  and  stood  an  ordeal  of  drill  and 
discipline  that  it  is  safe  to  say  has  never  been 
paralleled  by  any  similar  organization.  Those 
whose  courage  failed  withdrew;  others  were 
expelled.  There  is  a  record  of  the  expulsion 
at  one  time  of  twelve  of  some  of  the  best  drilled 
men  in  the  company  for  drinking. 

Drill  commenced  at  7:15.  At  8:45  coffee 
and  sandwiches  were  served.  Drill  continued 
from  9  to  10:30.  If  any  member  urged  any 
excuse,  such  as  indisposition  or  fatigue,  the 
Colonel  would  order  him  to  take  a  seat  on  the 
24 


€n^tDortf)'jGf  Zoua\}t^ 


bench  and  '  'watch  the  other  boys  do  it. "  The 
men  on  the  bench  were  called  "the  sore  toes" 
by  their  comrades  and  in  a  short  time  the 
bench  was  little  used. 

The  drill  was  never  without  knapsacks. 
The  weight  of  a  properly  packed  knapsack 
was  ascertained  and  that  weight  had  to  be  car- 
ried. For  uniformity  all  had  hair  cut  alike. 
A  mustache  and  goatee  was  only  allowed  to 
be  worn,  and  some  half  a  dozen  who  could  not 
comply  with  this  requirement  were  placed  as 
"rear  rank  men"  and  subjected  to  many  jokes 
from  the  "bearded  pards."  Part  of  the  drill 
was  with  gymnasium  appliances  —  horizontal 
bars,  ladders,  etc.  Preparatory  to  this  arms 
would  be  stacked  and  then  at  "double  quick" 
each  man  would  jump  on  the  bars  and  climb 
over  the  ladders,  using  the  hands  only.  It 
seemed  like  a  treadmill,  but  it  developed 
athletes.  In  a  month  of  such  work  all  the 
weaker  ones  dropped  out  and  only  the  "stayers" 
remained.  It  was  the  "survival  of  the  fittest." 
On  account  of  the  death  of  Colonel  Ellsworth's 
brother — a  member  of  the  company  —  the 
starting  date  was  put  off  from  June  20th  until 
July  2d.  During  the  entire  month  of  June  the 
men  slept  in  the  armory — "tattoo,"  10:45; 
"taps,"  11;  and  "reveille,"  at  6  a.m.,  the 
men  to  be  in  line  for  roll  call  before  the  last 
note  sounded.  They  were  then  dismissed  in 
time  for  their  breakfast  and  their  daily  business 
in  their  stores  and  offices.     Colonel  Ellsworth 

25 


ii^cmini^ccncc^  of  €l)icngo 

had  a  most  pleasant  and  persuasive  way  of 
talking  to  his  men  and  all  his  suggestions  were 
listened  to  and  obeyed,  but  he  appeared  to  be 
a  perfect  tyrant  "on  duty." 

The  start  was  made  July  2d,  with  knapsacks 
weighing  twenty-three  pounds,  which  were 
worn  on  drill  during  the  entire  trip. 

The  Colonel  in  his  concluding  address  to 
the  company,  said:  "By  the  Eternal,  the  first 
man  who  violates  his  pledge  shall  be  stripped 
of  his  uniform  and  sent  back  to  Chicago  in 
disgrace,  so  help  me  God." 

From  Detroit  a  man  was  sent  back.  A 
cheap  suit  of  citizen's  clothing  was  bought  for 
him  and  a  railroad  ticket  provided.  He  was 
the  only  one,  but  there  is  an  amusing  incident 
related  of  an  exhibition  drill  in  the  fair  grounds 
at  Syracuse.  Ellsworth  was  drilling  in  the 
skirmish  drill,  and  owing  to  the  distance  at 
which  he  stood  two  of  the  men  failed  to  hear 
his  usually  clear  and  distinct  voice  in  one  of 
the  orders  given.  As  a  result  a  blunder  was 
made  in  the,  imtil  then,  absolutely  ]:)erfect  drill. 
The  Colonel  was  disappointed  and  angry,  and 
his  reprimand,  given  the  two  delinquents  in 
the  presence  of  the  company  and  vast  audience, 
contained  some  words  to  the  effect  that  the  men 
should  be  "stripped  and  sent  home."  After 
the  drill  was  over,  and  at  the  armory,  where 
the  Colonel  was  in  a  crowd  of  enthusiastic 
admirers  receiving  compliments  as  to  his  finely 
drilled  company,  these  two  reprimanded  men 
26    ■ 


<ei\^\3i}otti)'fi  Zouatyt^ 


appeared  before  him  with  no  clothes  sav'e  their 
underwear.  They  "took  the  position  of  a 
soldier"  and  gravely  saluted. 

The  Colonel  looked  at  them  with  surprise 
and  said: — 

"What  does  this  mean.?  " 

"We  report  for  clothes  and  transportation.  " 

"Clothes  and  transportation?  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"O  yes,  now  I  remember.  Well,  boys,  put 
on  your  uniforms.  You  need  not  go  back  to 
Chicago  to-day." 

One  of  these  two  men  was  Lieutenant  George 
H.  Fergus  of  Chicago.  He  was  with  Ellsworth 
in  the  Fire  Zouaves  and  with  him  at  his  death 
in  Alexandria.  Lieutenant  Fergus  laughs 
heartily  over  the  incident  now,  though  it  was 
serious  enough  then. 

The  march  east  was  one  continued  series  of 
triumphs.  The  country  was  electrified  by  their 
wonderful  drill.  The  press  accounts  of  the 
day  were  most  enthusiastic,  and  the  militia — 
well,  the  militia  companies  of  the  cities 
through  which  they  passed  would  not  drill  with 
them,  but  most  cordially  acknowledged  their 
superiority  and  were  loud  in  their  praises. 
Such  "alignments,"  "correct  distances," 
"wheels,"  "perfect  time,"  "musket  slinging," 
"bayonet  practice,"  "ground  and  lofty  tumb- 
ling,"  were  "most  wonderful." 

And  this  from  men  and  companies  who  had 
a  short  time  before  laughed  at  the  presumption 
27 


Jtlcmini^cmce^  of  Cljicago 

of  a  lot  of  green  boys  "  in  wanting  to  drill  in 
competition  with  companies  that  had  '  revolu- 
tionary ancestry  '  as  organizations."  It  was, 
indeed,  complimentary.  Their  march  was  con- 
tinued in  triumph,  and  only  one  old  company 
ever  faced  them  in  uniform  for  drill,  and  that 
company,  a  picked  one  of  the  Seventh  New 
York,  under  command  of  Captain,  afterward 
General,  Alexander  Shaler,  was  their  escort 
to  West  Point.  This  drill  was,  by  "special 
request,"  only  an  exhibition,  and  not  in  any 
sense  competitive,  as  they  acknowledged  the 
superiority  of  the  Zouaves  and  voluntarily 
yielded  them  the  palm. 

New  York  City  was  reached  by  boat  and 
the  landing  was  thronged  with  eager  crowds 
to  see  the  now  famous  Zouaves.  They  were 
received  by  a  detachment  of  the  Sixth  New 
York,  Colonel  Pinkey  commanding,  at  Cortlandt 
Street  dock.  The  arrival  of  their  boat,  the 
Isaac  N'tu'ton,  was  hailed  by  a  salute  of  nine 
guns  fired  by  a  detachment  of  Company  F, 
Fourth  New  York.  The  march  to  the  Astor 
House,  where  they  breakfasted,  was  greeted 
by  deafening  cheers  and  the  cordiality  of  their 
reception  was  assured. 

Breakfast  over  the  line  of  march  was  up 
Broadway  to  Union  Square,  down  Fourth 
Avenue  to  the  bowerv  and  Grand  Street, 
thence  to  the  Sixth  Regiment  Armory,  corner 
of  Center  Street  where  they  were  received 
with  loud  cheers  of  "Welcome  Zouaves,"  by 
28 


<eU?tDort(;'^  £ouabcj0^ 


the  thousands  collected  about  the  Armory. 
The  New  York  Eighth,  drawn  up  at  the  entrance 
of  the  Armory,  to  receive  the  Chicago  "Red 
Breeches,"  gave  them  "nine  and  a  tig-a-r" 
as  they  marched  into  the  Armory,  When  guns 
were  stacked  Colonel  Ellsworth  ordered  the 
men  to  acknowledge  the  welcome  of  the  Sixth 
and  Eighth  regiments  with  their  own  cheer: 
' '  One-two-three-four-five-six-seven — tig-a-r — 
Zouave"  repeated  three  times  with  as  much 
precision  as  appeared  in  their  movements  when 
the  order  "Load  in  nine  times"  was  given. 
The  men  were  then  dismissed,  but  requested 
by  the  Colonel  to  "keep  limbered  up"  for  the 
great  competition  drill  in  front  of  the  City  Hall 
in  the  afternoon,  when  they  supposed  they 
would  meet  a  company  of  the  finest  picked 
"experts"  of  all  the  old  veteran  militia  reg- 
iments of  New  York  City. 

They  were  disappointed.  They  drilled  at  the 
appointed  time  to  a  large  audience,  but  with- 
out any  competitors.  This  drill  is  described  in 
"Frank  Leslie's"  of  June  28,  i860,  as  follows, 
and  their  artist  was  "on  the  spot,"  as  almost 
the  entire  pictorial  space  of  the  paper  testifies:  — 

It  having  been  announced  that  the  Chicago  Zouaves 
would  drill  in  the  Park  at  half-past  two  o'clock,  over 
ten  thousand  people  assembled  in  front  of  the  City 
Hall  long  before  that  time.  The  drums  were  heard 
in  the  distance  and  shortly  the  front  of  the  Sixth  Reg- 
iment escort  under  Captain  D.  Schwartz  was  seen 
wheeling  into  the  Park  at  the  west  entrance.  In  the 
meantime  Major-General  Sanford  and  Major  Wood, 
29 


^miiiii^caiccj^  of  aTtjtcago 

arm  in  arm,  followed  by  several  of  the  Board  of 
Common  Councilmen  and  a  number  of  casually 
invited  citizens,  descended  the  steps  and  took  posi- 
tions on  a  covered  platform  in  front.  The  escort  of 
the  Sixth  marched,  headed  by  the  Eighth  Regiment, 
in  good  step  and  dress  and  came  into  line  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Park.  The  Zouaves  followed,  headed 
by  their  young  commander,  Colonel  E.  E.  Ellsworth, 
and  immediately  clapping  of  hands  and  plaudits  were 
heard.  To  those  of  the  spectators  near  the  steps  of 
the  City  Hall  they  came  into  view  before  the  head  of 
the  Sixth  had  marched  to  the  front  of  the  hall. 
After  the  eye  rapidly  passed  over  the  familiar  blue 
coat  and  white  pants  of  our  own  regiments  the  strik- 
ing gay  uniforms  of  the  cadets  with  their  flowing  red 
pants,  their  jaunty  crimson  caps,  their  peculiar  drab 
gaiters  and  leggings,  and  the  loose,  open  bluejacket 
with  rows  of  small  thickly  set,  sparkling  buttons, 
and  the  light  blue  shirt  beneath  exposing  the  neck, 
all  in  the  midst  of  the  sober  broadcloth  of  the  crowd, 
entirely  riveted  the  gaze  of  the  spectators.  As  they 
came  steadily  into  view  they  moved  with  the  same 
unity  of  step  and  regard  for  distance  and  dress, 
but  also  with  an  ease  of  motion,  a  kind  of  dashing- 
confidence  and  elasticity  which  we  do  not  see  in  any 
of  our  own  companies.  They  flanked  to  the  right 
and  filed  to  the  left;  at  the  word  "  front  "  like  a  flash 
each  man  was  in  his  place  and  almost  jumped  there, 
not  abruptly,  but  most  easily,  and  there  was  no  after 
motion,  no  closing  in,  or  moving  up  to  the  center 
or  on  to  the  flanks.  They  came  to  a  "shoulder" 
and  then  to  an  "order."  The  effect  was  electric, 
and  one  felt  at  once  after  noting  the  confidence  in 
each  man's  eye,  and  the  faultless  positions  through- 
out the  ranks,  that  a  body  of  men  stood  there  that 
would  do  as  much  as  had  been  promised  for  them. 
Both  the  escort  and  the  Zouaves  passed  in  review 
before  the  Major  and  General  Sanford,  as  usual,  the 
first  in  "common  time"  and  then  in  "quick  time." 
As   the  Zouaves   marched  around   the   cheers  were 

30 


(en^tDortt)'^  ^ouabe^ 


vociferous.  The  step  and  dress  were  faultless  and 
so  was  the  wheeling,  which  was  comparatively  an 
easy  matter,  as  there  were  only  eight  fronts  of  men 
in  each  platoon.  One  thing  was  especially  notice- 
able in  the  ranks;  not  a  hand  was  swinging,  the 
Captain  and  Lieutenants,  of  course,  moving  with  less 
uniformity  through  the  tactics. 

The  account  goes  on  to  quite  a  length,  most 
accurately  and  minutely  describing  all  of  the 
drill,  and  from  the  language  used  and  the  very 
particular  descriptions  of  the  most  difficult 
although  not  always  the  most  show^y  parts  of 
both  company  drill,  manual  of  arms,  bayonet 
exercise,  skirmish  and  open  order  drills,  it  is 
evident  the  reporter  was  a  well  trained  militia 
man,  and  was  up  in  Scott  and  Hardee,  and, 
though  a  New  Yorker  and  with  every  induce- 
ment in  his  pride  of  his  city  and  its  splendid 
militia  to  find  all  fault  possible,  he  had  only 
praise  and  commendation  to  give  the  Zouaves 
for  their  "unparalleled"  and  "unequaled" 
exhibition. 

At  this  time  in  the  tour  of  the  Zouaves  their 
treasury  was  absolutely  empty.  They  did  not 
start  from  Chicago  with  much  of  a  fund  for 
expenses,  and  since  starting,  an  appeal  to  friends 
there  had  brought  them  $500,  but  this  was  now 
exhausted,  as  well  as  the  funds  that  the  mem- 
bers had  individually.  They  proudly  kept  their 
own  council,  however,  and  though  they  could 
count  on  about  two  invitations  for  meals  daily, 
the  third  meal  was  sadly  missed,  as  the  rigor 
of  their  drills  required  it. 

31 


Ilemim^caicc^  of  Cfjicago 

Now  help  came  from  an  unexpected  quarter. 
A  request  signed  by  a  number  of  "prominent 
citizens"  came  to  Colonel  Ellsworth  to  allow 
his  Company  to  drill  in  the  Academy  of  Music, 
admission  to  be  charged,  and  the  net  receipts 
to  go  to  the  Company.  Ellsworth  was  not  in 
favor  of  this  from  notions  of  pride.  Some  ot 
the  men,  however,  forced  him  to  yield  to  the 
demands  of  their  empty  stomachs,  and  an 
acceptance  was  sent.  In  the  history  of  the 
Company  he  had  ruled  it  absolutely,  and  now 
positions  were  for  the  first  time  reversed. 

The  Academy  of  Music  drill  was  in  every 
way  a  grand  success — a  crowded  house  (and 
crowds  turned  away)  at  one  dollar  per  head, 
a  wildly  enthusiastic  audience,  and  over  $2,000 
as  net  receipts.  In  speaking  of  this  drill,  and 
to  show  how  entirely  Ellsworth  and  his  Zouaves 
had  captured  New  York,  one  of  the  great 
daily  papers  said  in  an  editorial: — 

The  military  furore  has  reached  its  climax.  The 
gentle  muses  are  dethroned.  Mars  is  now  cele- 
brated ! ! !  No  company  in  the  world  could  compete 
with  the  Chicago  Zouaves. 

Their  campaign  at  Boston  was  but  a  repeti- 
tion of  that  at  New  York,  and  their  rcce]5tion 
was  most  gratifying  and  enthusiastic.  Beside 
a  number  of  public  outdoor  drills  in  the  presence 
of  vast  crowds,  another  "special  request" 
drill  was  given  in  one  of  the  theaters  which  put 
over  $1,000  in  the  treasury.  One  of  the  boys 
32 


€n?tDortf)'^  Zcna\}t^ 


remarked:  ''It  is  a  great  pity  they  do  not 
build  larger  theaters  here  in  Boston." 

They  returned  to  New  York  and  by  special 
request  and  with  an  escort  of  a  company  of  the 
finest  drilled  and  best  appearing  men  that 
could  be  found  in  the  regiment,  then  considered 
the  most  "crack"  of  any  regiment  in  the 
country,  the  New  York  Seventh,  they  went 
to  West  Point.  Lieutenant  General  Scott, 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  army,  and  General 
Hardee,  "Old  Tactics  Himself,"  saw  the  drill, 
which  was  at  first  the  "Ellsworth  Zouave 
Manual." 

Some  friend  of  Colonel  Ellsworth  reported 
to  him  that  General  Hardee  was  somewhat 
critical  in  his  remarks,  saying,  "It  was  only 
showy  and  not  at  all  practical." 

Colonel  Ellsworth  now  ordered,  "According 
to  Hardee,"  and  the  drill  was  continued  in  a 
way  that  completely  astonished  its  author. 
He  became  very  much  interested,  indeed,  and 
of  the  loading  and  firing  drill  said  it  was 
"perfect,"  but  that  he  noticed  that  the  men 
turned  their  heads  slightly  and  by  the  watch 
that  they  kept  on  each  other  were  enabled  to 
keep  perfect  time. 

Colonel  Ellsworth  then  ordered  the  men  to 
shut  their  eyes,  and  with  closed  eyes  the  drill 
was  equally  well  performed,  and  General 
Hardee  said:      "  Most  wonderful." 

As  a  compliment  to  the  venerable  "Hero 
of  Lundy's  Lane  "  the  cadets  then  went  through 

33 


Jilmiint^cencc^  of  Cljicago 

the  manual  "according  to  Scott,"  and  in  the 
most  satisfactory  manner.  The  company  of 
the  Seventh  New  York  now  had  an  inning, 
and  all  returned  to  New  York. 

Philadelphia  and  Baltimore  were  captured, 
in  drill  room  parlance,  "in  one  time  and  two 
motions."  Washington  was  reached  August 
5th,  and  the  cadets  were  invited  to  drill  in 
the  White  House  grounds  before  President 
Buchanan  and  a  select  company  of  Wash- 
ington notables. 

At  Pittsburg,  August  8th,  a  drill  was  given  and 
a  beautiful  and  valuable  sword  was  presented 
to  Colonel  Ellsworth  by  the  Duquesne  Grays. 
(At  the  death  of  Colonel  Ellswortli  this  sword 
was  sent  by  the  members  of  his  old,  Company 
then  with  him  in  the  Fire  Zouaves,  to  a  most 
estimable  young  lady  of  Rockford,  Illinois,  to 
whom  he  was  engaged  to  be  married.) 

At  Cincinnati  generous  hospitality  was  ex- 
tended to  the  Zouaves,  and  drills  were  given 
to  admiring  audiences,  and  at  St.  Louis  this 
was  repeated. 

All  this  and  much  more  in  praises  and  com- 
pliments had  been  heralded  through  the  land  in 
the  newspapers  of  the  day,  and  the  "March 
of  Triumph  of  the  Ellsworth  Zouaves"  was 
the  leading  news  item. 

When  the  Companv  arrived  at  Springfield, 

their  own  state  capital,  they  were  received  witli 

open  arms.      During  the  tour  the  members  of 

the  Company  had  been  presented  with  all  sorts 

34 


<!Bll0tDortl)'j6f  Zouaht^ 


of  souvenirs,  and  Colonel  Ellsworth  for  the 
first  time  allowed  discipline  to  be  relaxed  in 
that  the  boys  were  allowed  to  decorate  their 
uniforms  and  knapsacks  with  these  "trophies 
of  war,"  consisting  of  fatigue  caps,  epaulets, 
swords,  pistols,  plumes,  cartridge  boxes, 
badges,  medals,  ladies'  gloves,  lace  handker- 
chiefs, dried  and  faded  flowers,  etc.,  so  their 
appearance  on  arriving  at  Chicago  was  unique 
and  mirth-provoking. 

Their  train  was  delayed  somewhat  by  an 
accident,  but  "all  Chicago"  patiently  waited 
for  them  at  the  Alton  Depot.  When  the  train 
came  in  sight,  salutes  were  fired,  cannons 
boomed,  bands  played,  torches  were  waved  by 
both  the  "Wide- Awakes"  and  the  "Ever- 
Readys,"  as  in  this  event  the  party  spirit  of  the 
great  political  campaign,  then  in  progress,  was 
laid  aside.     Everybody  welcomed  "Our  Boys." 

The  Company  returned  to  Chicago  on  Tues- 
day, August  14,  i860.  They  were  escorted  by 
all  the  city  military  companies,  a  large  torch- 
light procession  of  both  political  parties,  and 
a  large  body  of  citizens,  to  the  "Wigwam 
Building"  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Lake  and 
Market  streets,  where  Mr.  Lincoln  had  been 
nominated  for  President  of  the  United  States. 
The  immense  building  was  crowded  to  over- 
flowing with  enthusiastic  admirers.  After  the 
reception  ceremonies  were  concluded  they  were 
escorted  to  the  Briggs  House,  where  a  magnifi- 
cent banquet  was  spread. 
35 


Itlcttiinififcetice^  of  Cljicago 


Following    are    the    members    of    Colonel 
Ellsworth's  Company  who  went  on  the  tour: — 

Colonel  Elmer  E.  Ellsworth,  commanding, 
f  First  Lieutenant  Joseph  R.  Scott. 

Second  Lieutenant  Dwight  H.  Laflin. 
§Surgeon  Charles  A.  DeVillers. 

Paymaster  James  B.  Taylor. 
fFirst  Sergeant  James  Rudolph  Hayden. 
*Second  Sergeant  Edward  Bergen  Knox. 

Quartermaster  Sergt.  Robert  W.  Wetherell. 

Color  Sergeant  Benet  B.  Botsford. 

Frederick  J.  Abbey.        William  Innis. 


George  V.  S.  Aiken. 

John  Albert  Baldwin. 

Joseph  C.  Burclay. 

Merritt  P.Batchelor. 

William  Berherand. 

Augustus  A.  Bice. 
fSamucl  S.  Boone. 

Edwin  L.  Brand, 
fjames  A.  Clybourn. 
*Edwin  M.  Coates. 
*Freeman  Canned. 

William  H.  Cutler. 

William  N.  Danks. 

James  M.  DeWitt. 
*George  H.  Fergus. 

George  W.  Friend. 

Henry  H.  Hall. 

Louis  B.  Hand. 
JCharles  H.  Hosmer. 


Louis  L.  James. 
Ransom  Kennicott. 
Lucius  S.  Larrabee. 
John  Conant  Long. 
Waters  McChesney. 
Samuel  J.  Nathan. 
William  M.  Olcott. 
Charles  C.  Phillips. 
Robert  D.  Ross. 
B.  Frank  Rogers. 
Charles  Scott,  Jr. 
f Charles  H.  Shipley. 
Charles  C.  Smitli. 
Charles  W.  Smith. 
Clement  Suttcrly. 
Ira  Goodie  True. 
Smith  B.  VanBuren. 
Henry  S.  Wade. 
Sidney  P.  Walker. 


*Frank  E.  Yates. 
36 


d^nstDortl^'^  Zom\}t^ 


*Went  into  service  in  the  army  with  Ellsworth  in 
the  Fire  Zouaves  as  a  Lieutenant. 

fWent  into  service  in  the  army  with  Nineteenth 
Illinois  as  a  commissioned  officer. 

|Died  in  Andersonville  prison. 

§Shot  while  swimming  James  River  in  escaping 
from  Libby  prison. 

Of  this  company  of  fifty  men  it  can  be  said: 
Forty-seven  entered  the  army  and  served  with 
distinction  dtiring  the  war.  Many  rose  to  high 
rank,  both  in  volunteers  and  the  regular  army. 
Some  are  now  on  the  active  and  others  on  the 
retired  list  of  the  army.  Several  were  appointed 
to  drill  new  regiments  at  the  camps  of  ren- 
dezvous for  such  troops  in  the  north,  and  one, 
Captain  John  Conant  Long,  who  was  appointed 
by  General  Grant  as  instructor  at  Camp  IDouglas, 
is  said  to  have  drilled  as  many  as  fifty  regiments. 
They  served  in  the  different  arms  of  the  service 
as  follows: — 

In  three  battalions  light  artillery. 

In  three  regiments  cavalry. 

In  twenty-six  regiments  infantry. 

In  the  signal  service. 

The  influence  of  men  drilled  and  disciplined 
as  these  were  under  Colonel  Ellsworth  and  scat- 
tered through  the  entire  army  must  certainly 
have  been  very  great. 

Shortly  after  the  triumphant  home-coming  of 
the  Zouaves,  Colonel  Ellsworth  went  to  Spring- 
field, Illinois,  and  entered  the  law  office  of 
Lincoln  and  Herndon  as  a  student.  He  was 
quite  effective  as  a  campaign  orator  in  Illinois 
37 


^Hcmini^ccnce^  of  Cijicago 

during  the  autumn  of  i860.  In  February, 
1 86 1,  he  accompanied  Mr.  Lincoln  to  Washing- 
ton for  his  inauguration  as  President  on  March 
4th.  The  President  obtained  for  him  a  com- 
mission as  Lieutenant  in  the  regular  army  and 
a  detail  for  special  duty  in  Washington.  When 
Sumter  was  fired  upon  and  the  war  began  he 
was  anxious  to  go  at  once  into  active  service 
in  the  field,  and  to  do  this  he  resigned  his  com- 
mission as  Lieutenant,  went  to  New  York  City 
and  obtained  permission  of  the  Chief  of  the 
Fire  Department  to  recruit  a  regiment  from 
among  the  firemen.  He  sent  to  Chicago  for 
for  some  of  the  men  of  his  old  Zouave  company, 
and  they  joined  him  at  once.  The  rapidity 
with  which  this  regiment — the  Eleventh  New 
York,  usually  called  the  "New  York  Fire 
Zouaves"  —  was  recruited  is  shown  by  the 
fact  that  he  arrived  in  New  York  April  17th, 
and  on  April  29th,  over  I,I00  strong,  they 
embarked  on  the  steamer  Baltic  for  Washington, 
via  Annapolis.  They  were  mustered  into 
service  by  General  Irwin  McDowell  in  the 
presence  of  President  Lincoln  in  front  of  the 
Capitol,  May  7th;  the  first  regiment  mustered 
in  "for  three  years  or  during  the  war," 
others  having  enlisted  for  three  months. 

The  morning  of  May  24th,  about  3:30 
o'clock,  the  regiment  was  transferred  by  three 
steamers — Jhi/tii/iorc,  Mt.  Vernon,  and  /anu's 
Gray  —  to  Alexandria,  Virginia.  On  approach- 
ing the  long  walk  at  daybreak  the  rebel  sentries 
38 


<2^n^ort()'ief  ^ouabe^ 


discharged  their  pieces  and  ran  up  town.  The 
regiment  landed,  marched  up  the  street,  and 
halted,  the  right  resting  on  Pitt  Street. 

Colonel  Ellsworth,  leaving  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Noah  F.  Fernham  in  command,  took 
from  the  right  of  Company  A  a  squad  of  men 
and  Sergeant  Frank  B.  Marshall,  and  proceeded 
to  the  next  street  south,  cut  the  telegraph 
wires,  and  passed  on  the  opposite  side  of  King 
Street,  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Pitt  Street, 
to  the  Marshall  House,  to  which  his  attention 
was  called  by  seeing  a  large  rebel  flag  flying  from 
its  top.  After  sending  Sergeant  Marshall 
back  to  the  regiment  for  Company  A,  First 
Lieutenant  E.  B.  Knox,  commanding,  he  went 
inside  the  hotel,  posting  one  of  his  escorts  at 
the  door,  another  on  the  first  floor,  another  at 
the  foot  of  the  stairs,  and  Corporal  Frank  E. 
Brownell  on  the  third  floor.  He  ascended  to 
the  house  top  where  he  went  to  obtain  a  view 
of  the  surroundings.  He  secured  the  rebel 
flag,  and  in  descending  the  stairs,  which 
occupied  three  sides  of  a  stairway  hall,  he 
heard  a  noise,  immediately  followed  by  a  shot. 
Hastening  down  to  ascertain  the  cause,  he 
came  around  a  turn  just  in  time  to  receive  the 
second  charge  of  a  double-barreled  shot  gun  in 
the  hands  of  James  W.  Jackson,  the  landlord. 
It  was  aimed  at  Brownell,  who  had  knocked 
the  gun  up.  The  first  charge,  also  intended 
for  Brownell,  entered  the  casing  of  the  door  at 
the  foot  of  the  stairs.  Brownell  then  shot 
39 


lUemini^ccticci^  of  €l)icago 

Jackson,  who  was  crazed  with  drink,   having 
been  on  a  spree  for  several  days.i 

Of  Colonel  Ellsworth  many  hostile  criticisms 
have  been  published.  He  has  been  called 
tyrannical,  vain,  proud,  and  — in  connection 
with  accounts  of  his  death  —  foolhardy.  But 
these  have  all  had  their  source,  either  from 
those  who  suffered  from  a  necessary  discipline 
agreed  to  by  themselves  and  afterwards  violated, 
or  from  friends  of  these  men.  Not  one  sur- 
viving member  of  the  Chicago  Zouaves  who 
remained  faithful  to  the  end  can  be  found  who 
will  agree  with  such  criticisms.  On  the  con- 
trary they  accord  to  him  unparalleled  fixedness 
of  purpose,  industry  and  clear-headedness  in 
all  matters  pertaining  to  military  affairs.  When 
speculating  on  what  "might  have  been"  had 
he  been  spared  to  the  army,  they  will  say  that 
the  military  history  of  the  Fire  Zouaves  and 
that  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac — with  this 
leaven  in  its  midst  —  might  have  been  very 
different.  They  believe  that  on  the  roll-call 
of  great  captains,  when  this  greatest  of  all 
wars  closed,  his  name  might  have  stood  second 
to  none. 

'This  account  of  the  exact  circumstances  of  the 
death  of  Colonel  Ellsworth  is  from  the  late  Lieuten- 
ant George  H.  Fergus,  a  member  of  Colonel  f^lls- 
worth's  old  Chicago  Zouaves,  and  an  officer  in  the 
Fire  Zouaves,  who  was  present  at  the  time  with  the 
regiment  outside  the  hotel.  It  is  as  he  heard  it 
many  times  from  Corporal  Brownell  (now  dead)  who 
was  the  only  witness. 

40 


Ci^e  Cl^tcago  Contention 

[Report  of  the  Republican  Convention  of  i860,  by 
Dr.  Humphrey  H.  Hood,  in  the  P^rec  Press  of 
Hillsboro,  Illinois,  now  known  as  The  N'eivs  Mon- 
itor, and  published  in  Litchfield.  From  the  Trans- 
actions of  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Society. 


LrrcHPiELi),   It.t,.,   May  24,  i860. 

MR.  EDITOR:  On  the  eve  of  my 
departure  for  Chicago,  I  made  you  a 
promise  to  write  you  from  that  city, 
regarding  the  proceedings  of  the  National 
Republican  Convention.  Upon  my  arrival, 
however,  I  found  it  altogether  useless  to  do 
so,  as  it  was  quite  impossible  for  my  com- 
munication to  reach  you  in  time  for  the  Press 
of  last  week.  I  propose  now  to  give  some 
account  of  my  visit  and  my  impressions  of  the 
convention,  and  the  facts  connected  therewith 
as  understood  by  me.  We  left  the  Litchfield 
station  on  the  morning  train  on  Tuesday,  the 
15th  inst.  Our  company  was  not  niunerous 
at  this  point,  but  it  received  constant  accession 
at  each  succeeding  station,  so  that  when  we 
arrived  at  Mattoon,  we  were  comfortably 
crowded.  Here  we  changed  cars,  taking  the 
Illinois  Central.  Our  old  friend,  John  Kitchell, 
found  us  at  this  point.  After  a  short  interval 
of  waiting  for  the  northern  train,  we  again 
moved  forward  with  a  long  train  loaded  with 
41 


iltcmiiit^cnicc^  of  Cl)icago 


"black  Republicans, "  and  at  each  station  the 
cry  was  "still  they  come."  At  the  crossing 
of  the  Great  Western,  a  fresh  inundation  poured 
in  upon  us,  but  few  of  whcjni  found  better 
accommodations  than  the  aisles  afforded;  but 
at  Urbana,  two  additional  cars  were  attached, 
which  furnished  seats  for  all.  At  the  crossing 
we  were  joined  by  the  future  Governor  of  the 
State,  Hon.  Richard  Yates.  We  arrived  at 
Chicago  at  nine  o'clock  and  at  once  hurried 
to  the  Metropolitan  Hotel,  where  we  were  for- 
tunate in  securing  a  room  with  a  cot  for  each 
of  our  company.  After  refreshing  our  inner 
man  at  the  table,  we  proceeded  to  the  famed 
Wigwam,  and  found  a  large  audience  assem- 
bled, listening  to  the  Hon.  Anson  Burlingame. 
When  I  entered  he  was  speaking  of  the  cer- 
tainty of  a  Republican  triumph  next  fall,  no 
matter  who  the  standard-bearer  might  be.  Of 
all  possible  candidates  he  spoke  in  terms  of 
appropriate  eulogy,  paying  just  tribute  to  the 
talents  and  virtues  of  each.  Of  Lincoln  he 
spoke  as  "the  gallant  son  of  Illinois,  who 
fought  that  wonderful  battle  of  1858,  the  like 
of  which  had  not  been  known  since  the  time 
when  Michael  encountered  and  sui)dued  the 
arch  fiend. " 

To  view  the  Wigwam  alone,  when  crowded 
with  its  immense  audience,  was  worth  a  visit 
to  the  Garden  City.  We  hear  of  the  meanness 
of  Yankeetown,  and  the  liberalitv  of  the  south- 
erner, but  1  think  Chicago  will  lose  nothing 
42 


C^c  Cl)tcago  Contjention 

in  comparison  witli  Charlestovvn.  Let  it  be 
remembered  that  the  Wigwam  was  built  solely 
for  the  use  of  the  Republican  Convention, 
whereas  the  Democratic  convention  paid  $500 
per  day  for  a  hall  in  which  to  meet.  The 
Wigwam  is  a  substantial  wooden  building, 
admirably  adapted  to  the  purpose  for  which  it 
was  constructed;  well  ventilated,  well  lighted, 
and  for  speaking  and  hearing  as  well  arranged 
as  such  a  building  could  be.  Its  dimensions 
are  180  feet  by  100.  One-third  of  this  space 
was  assigned  for  the  use  of  the  convention, 
and  was  divided  into  a  platform  and  two 
spacious  committee  rooms,  one  at  either  end. 
The  platform  was  seated  with  settees  and  the 
space  assigned  to  each  delegation  designated 
by  placards  on  each  of  which  was  the  name  of 
the  state  represented.  These  were  elevated 
so  as  to  be  seen  from  all  parts  of  the  building. 
The  speaker's  chair  was  at  the  rear  of  the 
platform  and  toward  it  all  seats  looked.  On 
the  wall  immediately  behind  the  chair  were 
painted  United  States  flags  and  the  chair  was 
canopied  with  flags.  There  were  four  other 
larger  paintings  on  the  wall  representing 
"Justice,"  "Ceres,"  etc. 

A  portion  of  the  floor  in  front  of  the  plat- 
form was  railed  off  and  seated  for  the  use  of 
alternate  delegates,  members  of  the  press,  and 
the  telegraph  operators.  Outside  of  this  rail- 
ing were  found  excellent  standing  accommoda- 
tions for  gentlemen  not  fortunate  in  holding 

43 


^fleitiini^cntcc^  of  Cljicago 

tickets  and  not  accompanied  by  ladies.  In  this 
unfortunate  category  was  your  correspondent. 

Extending  round  three  sides  were  spacious 
galleries  appropriated  to  the  use  of  ladies  and 
their  escorts;  these  were  always  filled  to  over- 
flowing. On  the  front  of  the  galleries  were 
painted  the  coats  of  arms  of  all  the  states. 
The  roof  was  arched  and  well  supported  by 
posts  and  braces,  as  were  also  the  galleries, 
and  around  all  these  twined  evergreens  inter- 
mingled with  flowers.  The  whole  space  over 
the  platform  was  festooned  with  evergreens 
and  the  tri-colors,  the  red,  white  and  blue,  and 
there  were  states  enough  to  represent  a  whole 
firmament  of  stars. 

It  was  announced  in  the  morning  papers  of 
the  1 6th,  that  the  doors  would  be  open  at 
eleven  o'clock.  Two  hours  before  that  time 
the  crowd  was  sufficient  to  fill  the  v^ast  building, 
assembled  on  Lake  and  Market  streets,  and 
when  the  doors  were  opened,  the  rush  and 
pressure  were  terrific.  I  was  in  the  center  of 
the  crowd  and  thought  myself  fortunate  in 
escaping  with  whole  bones.  Nevertheless,  I 
tried  the  experiment  again  in  the  afternoon, 
but  that  sufficed  me.  And,  indeed,  my  subse- 
quent experience  proved  that  the  better  way 
to  obtain  an  eligible  position  was  to  wait  till 
the  rush  was  over,  and  then  quietly  insinuate 
one's  self  through  the  crowd.  In  this  way  I 
never  failed  to  obtain  a  position  where  the  whole 
proceedings  of  the  convention  were  open  to  me. 

44 


Cfte  €I)tcago  Conbetttion 

The  first  day  but  little  of  interest  to  out- 
siders occurred.  Nothing  was  done  beyond 
organizing  and  appointing  the  necessary  com- 
mittees. The  morning  of  the  second  day  was 
mostly  taken  up  with  the  report  of  the  com- 
mittee on  credentials,  which  was  finally  re- 
committed, some  doubts  arising  as  to  the  rights 
of  the  Texas  delegates  to  cast  a  vote  of  that 
state.  The  report  of  the  committee  on  busi- 
ness in  regard  to  the  rules  that  should  govern 
the  convention  also  excited  some  discussion. 
The  committee  recommended  that  on  the  vote 
for  the  president  and  vice-president,  a  number 
equal  to  the  majority  of  6o6  (of  which  number 
the  convention  would  consist  were  all  the  states 
represented)  should  be  required  to  nominate. 
A  minority  of  the  committee  recommended 
that  only  a  majority  of  all  the  delegates  present 
should  be  required.  This  question  was  not 
disposed  of  when  the  convention  adjourned. 
In  the  afternoon  the  minority  report  was 
adopted  by  a  large  majority.  In  regard  to 
Texas  the  committee  reported  again  in  favor 
of  the  delegates  from  that  state;  the  report 
was  adopted  amid  enthusiastic  cheering. 

The  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions 
also  reported  during  this  session.  The  plat- 
form appeared  satisfactory  to  almost  everybody 
in  particular.  Its  reading  elicited  thunders  of 
applause;  particularly  the  sections  in  which 
freedom  is  affirmed  to  be  the  normal  condition 
of  the  territories  and  in  which  protection  to 

45 


JHeitiinifiicencf^  of  Cljicago 

home  industry  is  recommended.  With  these 
and  other  sections  the  people  could  not  be 
satisfied  with  one  reading;  but  after  shouting 
till  one  might  suppose  their  lungs,  if  not  their 
enthusiasm,  were  exhausted,  they  would  de- 
mand the  reading  of  them  again,  when  they 
would  again  applaud  with  all  the  vehemence  of 
the  first  demonstration. 

On  the  motion  to  adopt  the  platform,  Mr. 
Carter,  of  Ohio,  demanded  the  previous  ques- 
tion, which  was  not  sustained.  Mr.  Giddings 
moved  an  amendment,  which  consisted  in 
appending  to  the  platform  a  quotation  from 
the  Declaration  of  Independence.  This  was 
deemed  unnecessary,  the  truths  of  the  Declara- 
tion being  affirmed  in  the  second  section,  and 
it  was  voted  down.  At  this  point,  the  Alis- 
souri  Republican  says,  that  Giddings  left  the 
convention,  "shaking  off  the  dust  of  his  feet," 
etc.  This  is  a  pure  fabrication  on  the  part  of 
that  truthful  journal.  I  had  my  eyes  on  Mr. 
Giddings  during  nearly  the  whole  of  the  session, 
and  he  could  not  have  left  without  my  seeing 
him,  and  he  did  not  leave.  Mr.  Wilmot  pro- 
posed to  amend  the  14th  section,  by  striking 
out  the  words,  "or  any  state  legislation,"  etc., 
regarding  them  as  derogating  from  state  sov- 
ereignty; but  upon  being  assured  by  Carl 
Schurz  that  they  were  not  intended  to  recom- 
mend any  course  of  national  legislation,  but 
merely  to  express  an  opinion,  he  withdrew  the 
motion. 

46 


Cl)c  Chicago  Contention 

Mr.  Curtis,  of  New  York,  offered  an  amend- 
ment similar  to  that  presented  by  Mr.  Giddings. 
It  being  objected  that  it  had  ah'eady  been 
voted  down,  and  was  therefore  out  of  order, 
the  chair  so  ruled ;  whereupon  Mr.  Blair,  of 
Missouri,  protested  against  the  ruling  and 
avowed  his  willingness  to  go  before  the  con- 
vention on  an  appeal  from  the  decision.  He 
then  explained  that  this  motion  proposed  to 
amend  the  second  section,  whereas  the  amend- 
ment offered  by  Mr.  Giddings  was  to  be 
appended  to  the  platform.  The  chair  reversed 
his  decision  and  the  amendment  was  adopted, 
and  then  the  platform  was  adopted  unani- 
mously. Pending  a  motion  to  go  to  a  ballot 
for  president  the  convention  adjourned. 

On  the  third  day  of  the  convention,  it  was 
called  to  order  at  ten  o'clock.  The  New  York 
delegation,  and  the  Young  Men's  Republican 
Club  of  New  York  and  many  others  in  favor 
of  the  nomination  of  William  H.  Seward  pro- 
ceeded in  procession  from  the  Richmond  House 
to  the  Wigwam.  Many  of  them  wore  badges 
indicating  their  choice  for  the  candidate,  and 
they  were  all  hopeful,  and,  indeed,  confident 
that  their  favorite  would  be  the  favorite  of  the 
convention;  but  they  were  doomed  to  dis- 
appointment. The  first  ballot  revealed  the 
fact  that  Seward  had  more  friends  in  the  con- 
vention than  any  other  man,  but  it  also  re- 
vealed the  fact  that  he  would  not  be  nom- 
inated. On  the  first  ballot  the  most  determined 
47 


Unnini^cencc^  of  Cljicago 

opponents  of  his  nomination  scattered  their 
votes,  and  it  was  well  known  that  Lincoln 
was  their  second  choice.  On  the  second  bal- 
lot Seward  gained  1 1,  and  Lincoln  79  votes; 
the  former  still  having  a  majority.  On  the 
final  vote  when  all  the  states  had  been  called, 
Lincoln  still  lacked  two  votes  of  the  required 
number.  Then  Carter,  of  Ohio,  rose  and  amid 
breathless  silence,  announced  that  Ohio  changed 
four  votes  from  Chase  to  Lincoln.  This  was 
enough  and  for  ten  minutes  nothing  was  heard 
but  the  roar  of  human  voices  and  then  came 
booming  through  the  open  doors  and  windows 
the  voice  of  the  first  gun  of  the  campaign.  In 
five  minutes  from  that  time  the  dispatch  from 
New  York,  1, 000  miles  distant,  announcing, 
"  One  hundred  guns  are  now  being  fired  in  the 
park  in  honor  of  the  nomination,"  was  read 
in  the  convention. 

Before  the  vote  was  counted  State  after 
State  rose  and  changed  its  vote  to  Lincoln. 
Mr.  Evarts,  of  New  York,  demanded:  "Can 
New  York  have  the  silence  of  the  convention.'" 
Instantly  every  voice  was  hushed.  He  stated 
that  he  desired  to  make  a  motion  and  would 
inquire  if  the  result  of  the  ballot  was  announced. 
It  was  not;  he  would  await  that  announcement. 
When  the  result  was  declared  he  took  the  floor, 
or  ratlier  a  table,  and  in  a  speech  which  won 
the  afimiration  of  all  that  heard  it,  which  was 
characteriz.cd  alike  by  dignity,  earnestness  and 
deep  devotion  to  the  great  statesman  of  New 
48 


€i)c  Cjjicago  Contention 

York,  he  pronounced  a  most  glowing  eulogy 
upon  William  H.  Seward.  It  might  be  deemed 
honor  enough  to  be  accounted  worthy  of  such 
devoted  friendship.  At  the  close  he  moved 
that  the  nomination  of  Abraham  Lincoln  be 
declared  unanimous,  at  the  same  time  elevating 
high  above  him  a  life  sized  portrait  of  "  Honest 
Old  Abe." 

The  motion  was  first  seconded  by  Blair,  of 
Michigan.  He  said,  "We  give  up  William 
Henry  Seward  with  some  beating  of  the  heart, 
with  some  quivering  of  the  nerves,  but  the 
choice  of  the  convention  is  the  choice  of  Michi- 
gan." He  was  followed  by  Anderson,  of 
Massachusetts,  and  Carl  Schurz,  of  Wisconsin. 
This  closed  the  morning  session. 

The  convention  reassembled  at  five  o'clock 
and  at  once  proceeded  to  vote  for  vice-president. 
Hannibal  Hamlin  was  chosen  on  the  second 
ballot.  It  may  seem  somewhat  remarkable 
that  Texas  should  vote  steadily  in  the  morning 
for  Seward  and  in  the  afternoon  cast  six  votes 
for  Sam  Houston.  After  appointing  the  com- 
mittee the  convention  adjourned  sine  die. 

In  the  evening  a  grand  ratification  meeting 
was  held  in  the  Wigwam.  Pomeroy,  Giddings, 
Yates  and  many  others  spoke.  The  banner  of 
the  "Young  Men's  Republican  Club,"  of  New 
York,  attracted  much  attention,  (they  brought 
it  with  them)  inscribed: 

' '  For  President " 

the  blank  to  be  filled,  as  they  hoped,  with  the 

49 


Itmiinisfcnicc^  of  C!)icago 

name  of  William   H.  Seward,  but,  instead,  it 
bore  the  name  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  thus:  — 


FOR    PRESIDENT 
ABRAHAM    LINCOLN 


Thus  ended  the  Chicago  National  Conven- 
tion. May  we  not  congratulate  ourselves  on 
the  happy  results  of  its  labors?  Those  results 
have  satisfied  all  Republicans. 


50 


Ci^e  Cairo  CjcpeDitton 

[The  Cairo  Expedition,  and  the  obtaining  of  arms 
for  the  Illinois  troops.  Paper  read  before  the 
Chicago  Historical  Society  by  Augustus  Harris 
Burley,  at  its  annual  meeting,  1890.] 


AS  the  years  go  by,  and  one  by  one  the 
actors  in  and  spectators  of  the  scenes 
of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  pass  away, 
it  seems  necessary  and  proper  that  all  of  us 
should  make  some  record  of  what  we  saw  or 
knew  of  the  anxious  and  trying  times  in  the 
spring  of  1861. 

The  general  history  of  the  war  has  been 
written  by  a  number  of  able  authors;  I  wish, 
only,  to  add  what  came  within  my  own  knowl- 
edge, as  to  the  part  taken  by  Chicago  at  the 
beginning  of  the  war. 

From  the  time  when  the  steamer  Shir  of 
the  IVt'st  was  fired  upon,  January  9,  1861, 
and  driven  to  sea  from  the  entrance  to  Charles- 
ton harbor,  the  people  throughout  the  North 
were  uneasy  and  excited,  but  no  one  could 
believe  that  a  serious  attempt  would  be  made 
to  disrupt  the  Union  of  the  States  or  destroy 
a  government  that  had  existed  for  nearly  a 
century,  and  which  had  been  consecrated  by 
the  deeds  and  lives  of  so  many  noble  men. 

April  12,  1861,  when  the  citizens  of  Charles- 

51 


^cmmififccncc^  of  Cljicago 

ton,  South  Carolina,  opened  fire  on  Fort  Sum- 
ter, and  the  gahant  Major  Robert  Anderson, 
to  save  the  Hves  of  his  soldiers,  struck  the  Flag 
of  our  Country,  the  news  went  through  the 
North  like  an  electric  shock.  Quickly  recover- 
ing from  the  stunning  blow,  the  people  felt 
that  war  had  actually  come,  and  though  cheeks 
paled,  lips  were  firmly  set  and  eyes  flashed, 
showing  the  determination  by  all  patriots  to 
stand  shoulder  to  shoulder  and  preserve  the 
Union  and  the  government  at  any  cost  of  life 
and  treasure. 

Friday  evening,  April  iQth,  a  mass-meeting 
of  citizens  was  held  in  Bryan  Hall  (now 
the  Grand  Opera  House)  at  which  patriotic 
speeches  were  made  and  resolutions  were 
adopted  to  sustain  the  government,  suppress 
the  rebellion,  and  maintain  the  Union. 

A  subscription  of  thirty  thousand  dollars  was 
immediately  made,  and  a  committee  appointed 
to  carry  out  the  wishes  of  the  people,  as 
expressed,  and  to  use  the  money  in  assisting 
the  government. 

The  following  named  citizens  were  a]:)pointed 
as  such  committee: — 

Edvvai'd  H.  Hadduck.   Julian  Sidney  Rumsey. 
Laurin  P.  Hilliard.         Orrington  Lunt. 
Renj.  F.  Carver.  Pliillip  Conley. 

Fred.  K.  Letz.  P.  L.  Underwood. 

George  Armour.  John  James  Richards. 

Hiram  E.  Mather.  F.  Granger  Adams. 

John  L.  Hancock.  Horatio  Gates  Loomis. 

52 


€i^t  Cairo  <2Kj:pctittion 


Robert  Law.  George  W.  Gage. 

Alexander  White.  Cliarles  G.  Wicker. 

Redmond  Prindiville.  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard. 

Edward  I.  Tinkham.  Thomas  J.  Kinsella. 
Roselle  Marvin  Hough.  Ehphalet  Wood. 

Nelson  Tuttle.  Homer  E.  Sargent. 

John  Gage.  U.  H.  Crosby. 

(These  names  were  obtained  from  Z'/^t-  Chicago 
Tribune.^ 

Mr.  Hadduck  declining  to  act  as  chairman, 
I  was  requested  to  take  his  place.  Samuel 
Hoard  was  secretary. 

The  Hon.  Julian  S.  Rumsey  gave  the  use 
of  his  building,  44  and  46  La  Salle  Street, 
without  charge,  and  the  committee  was  in 
session  daily  from  early  morning  until  late  at 
night. 

Reports  were  constantly  made  to  the  commit- 
tee of  traitors  and  treason,  of  threats  to  burn 
elevators,  to  blow  up  the  powder-magazines, 
and  to  do  other  mischief,  and  thus  aid  the 
so-called  confederacy.  The  committee  had 
guards  placed  to  watch  all  important  and  threat- 
ened buildings. 

Not  a  keg  of  powder  was  permitted  to  be 
taken  from  any  of  the  magazines,  without  the 
consent  of  the  committee,  who,  before  issuing 
a  permit,  had  to  be  satisfied  that  it  wxnt  into 
loyal  hands  for  a  legitimate  purpose. 

The  arbitrary  powers  assumed  by  the  com- 
mittee   could    only    be    justified    by    such    an 

53 


ifleiiiiniiefccnfCjBf  of  Ctjtcago 

exigency,  but  all  loyal  citizens  united  in  sub- 
mitting to  their  restrictions  and  sustaining 
their  acts. 

April  19th  the  following  dispatch  was  sent 
by  Governor  Richard  Yates  to  General  Rich- 
ard Kellogg  Swift,  then  commander  of  the 
militia  of  this  military  district: 

As  quick  as  possible,  have  as  strong  a  force  as 
you  can  raise,  armed  and  equipped  with  ammunition 
and  accoutrements,  and  a  company  of  artillery,  ready 
to  march  at  a  moment's  warning.  A  messenger  will 
start  to  Chicago  to-night. 

Richard  Yates,  Commander-in-Chief. 

The  morning  of  April  20th,  Mr.  John  W. 
Bunn  appeared,  as  the  governor's  messenger, 
and  announced  to  General  Swift  and  the  com- 
mittee, that  all  diligence  should  be  used  in 
raising  and  equipping  the  force,  and  that  its 
destination  must  be  kept  a  profoimd  secret. 

General  Swift  issued  his  orders  for  the 
militia  to  muster,  but  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  independent  companies,  small  in  numbers, 
his  force  was  composed  of  vohmteers,  all  told 
to  the  number  of  400,  as  per  General  Swift's 
telegram  to  Governer  Yates,  dated  April  21st — ■ 
the  adjutant-general's  report  says  595,  but  he 
included  some  companies  that  did  not  arrive 
in  time.  The  force  included  four  cannon  and 
forty-four  horses. 

The  war-committee  borrowed  from  a  Mil- 
waukee company  fifty  muskets,  but  the  force 
was   largely    armed   with   squirrel-rifles,  shot- 

54 


Zi)t  Cairo  €jCjpeDition 


guns,  single-barreled  pistols,  antique  revolvers, 
and  anything  that  looked  as  if  it  would  shoot, 
that  could  be  obtained  from  the  gunstores, 
second-hand  stores  and  pawnshops. 

The  State  having  neither  money  nor  arms, 
our  committee  borrowed  or  bought  the  arms 
and  commissary  stores,  and  advanced  from  its 
funds  the  money  necessary  for  the  purchase  of 
everything  required  that  could  be  obtained  on 
such  short  notice. 

At  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  April  2 1st,  the 
expedition  started  from  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Station,  amid  the  cheers  of  the  people 
and  the  screaming  of  the  steam-whistles. 

An  expedition  starting,  as  this  did,  for  an 
unknown  destination,  you  may  conceive  was  a 
source  of  anxiety  to  all  and  especially  to  those 
whose  sons,  brothers,  and  husbands  had  gone. 
General  Swift  was  without  military  training  or 
knowledge,  but  he  had  with  him  the  late  General 
Joseph  Dana  Webster,  then  Captain,  as  aide, 
and  to  whom  the  governor  gave  the  authority 
to  supersede  General  Swift  at  any  time  should  it 
become  necessary. 

After  providing  the  force,  the  next  thing  was 
to  get  it  to  its  destination  before  any  advice  could 
be  given  of  it  to  the  people  of  the  southern  part 
of  the  State.  Some  of  our  excited  citizens 
wished  the  committee  to  take  possession  of  the 
railroad  and  telegraph,  but  cooler  counsel  pre- 
vailed, and  the  railroad  and  telegraph  companies' 
officers   patriotically   aided   the   authorities  in 

55 


lltnnini^ccncc^  of  Cl)ica0o 

every   way,   thus    preventing   any   knoM'ledge 
of  the  expedition  being  sent  in  advance. 

To  this  end,  no  telegrams  were  permitted  to 
go  over  the  Hnes,  and  the  regular  train  on  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  was  started  at  the 
usual  hour,  7  p.m.,  but  with  orders  to  stop  at 
a  certain  place  until  the  military  train  had 
passed,  giving  to  passengers,  as  an  excuse  for 
such  delay,  that  some  unavoidable  accident,  or 
other  cause,  prevented  their  going  on.  With 
this  arrangement,  the  military  train  passed 
unheralded  the  length  of  the  State,  and  rolled 
into  Cairo  to  the  astonishment  of  all,  and  rage 
of  many  of  its  citizens. 

It  seems  strange  that  such  secrecy  should 
have  been  necessary  in  any  northern  state,  but 
we  were  surrounded  by  traitors  in  Chicago, 
and  a  large  proportion  of  the  people  of  Southern 
Illinois  sympathized  with  the  South,  and  to  the 
late  Hon.  Stephen  A.  Douglas  and  the  noble 
General  John  A.  Logan,  we  owe  the  salvation 
of  our  State  from  civil  war  within  its  borders. 

Knowing  the  sentiment  of  the  people,  the 
fear  was  that  they  would  destroy  the  long, 
wooden  trestle-work  across  the  Big  Muddy  River, 
which  they  could  have  rendered  impassable  in 
an  hour,  by  burning  it.  There  was  also  fear 
that  the  rebels  would  seize  Cairo,  as  being  a 
point  of  great  strategic  importance.  It  was 
afterward  learned  that  Cairo  would  have  been 
seized  in  forty-eight  hours,  had  its  occupation 
been  delayed. 

56 


Zf^c  Cairo  (^xpftiition 


Preparing  the  expedition  to  Cairo  brought 
us  face  to  face  with  the  fact  that  the  State  of 
IlHnois  had  not,  within  its  control,  guns  enough 
for  one  regiment.  Indiana,  Wisconsin,  and 
Iowa  sent  agents  here  asking  for  arms. 
Michigan,  in  reply  to  the  committee's  request 
for  a  loan  of  arms,  said  they  had  none  that 
could  be  spared,  not  having  enough  for  their 
own  men. 

The  committee,  in  view  of  the  condition, 
decided  to  send  East  for  arms,  and  gladly 
accepted  the  offer  of  Stephen  Francis  Gale  to 
go  in  search  of  guns,  and  I  have  the  pleasure 
of  giving  you  his  own  account  of  the  mission:  — 

A.  H.  BuRLEY,  Esq.,  President  of  the  Citizens' 
Committee  of  the  City  of  Chicago: 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1861,  you  informed  me  that 
I  had  been  selected  by  your  committee  to  proceed 
East  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  arms  and  ammuni- 
tion for  the  troops  of  the  State  of  Illinois. 

Arrangements  were  quickly  made  for  my  departure, 
by  obtaining,  through  R.  N.  Rice,  Esq.,  superintendent 
of  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad,  a  free  and  unob- 
structed track  to  Detroit,  and  in  one  hour  was  on  my 
way. 

Wired  the  governor  of  Michigan  to  meet  me  at 
the  station  at  Jackson  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining,  if 
possible,  a  temporary  supply  from  the  arsenal  at 
Dearborn.  His  answer  was:  "We  can  not  let  you 
have  a  single  musket,  our  State  has  called  for  more 
men  than  we  can  arm." 

Reached  Detroit  in  six  hours  and  thirty  minutes; 
wiring  on  my  way  to  Mr.  Rice  to  meet  me  on  my 
arrival  at  the  station,  and  meantime  to  make  arrange- 
ments with  the  Great  Western  Railway  for  an  engine 

57 


^cinini^cniccief  of  Cljicago 

to  take  me  to  Niagara  Falls;  also  to  put  me  in  com- 
munication with  some  one  in  high  authority  in  Canada. 

Mr.  Rice  at  once  prepared  a  letter  to  Hon. 
H.  C.  R.  Beecher,  the  queen's  counsel  at  London, 
who  said  he  would  lay  my  request  before  the 
government  without  delay  and  make  answer  to  my 
request  as  soon  as  he  could  get  a  reply.  On  the  22d 
instant,!  received  a  despatch,  care  of  Erastus  Corn- 
ing, Albany,  as  follows: — 

"Application  unsuccessful,"  and  evidently  to 
explain  delay  adds:  "Government  does  not  take 
the  telegraph  as  a  means  of  communication.  Why 
not  try  Lord  Lyons?" 

In  my  brief  conversation  with  Mr.  Beecher,  I 
inferred  that,  however  well  disposed  the  government 
might  feel,  a  want  of  precedent  or  want  of  authority 
might  prevent  the  granting  of  my  request. 

My  time  through  Canada  was  five  hours  and  forty 
minutes.  Mr.  Rice,  at  my  request,  wired  New  York 
Central  Railroad  to  "hold"  east-bound  express  as  long 
as  possible,  for  special  on  its  way. 

The  regular  express  was  held  for  one  hour;  arriv- 
ing forty  minutes  after  its  departure,  I  took  a  hot 
engine  and  overtook  the  express  at  Rochester. 

On  my  arrival  at  Albany,  called  at  once  upon 
Mr.  Corning,  who  promised  every  assistance  in  his 
power.  He  introduced  me  to  Governor  Morgan, 
who  said,  "There  is  an  abundance  of  arms  in  the 
arsenals;  every  State  can  get  them,  and  you  can  get 
all  you  want.  If  Governor  Yales  will  send  a  special 
to  Washington  it  might  expedite  matters.  The 
Springfield  Arsenal  sent  us  eight  thousand  yesterday. ' ' 

Tried  to  communicate  with  Washington,  but  found 
it  impossible,  as  the  wires  were  all  cut,  and  the  only 
means  left  was  by  special  >/u'ssfHi:;rr  to  accompany 
troops,  either  from  New  York  or  Philadelphia. 

Left  a  telegram  for  the  secretary  of  war  to  be  sent 
as  soon  as  the  line  was  in  order. 

The  saving  of  time  seemed  so  important,  I  hastened 
to  Springfield,  and  after  an  interview  with  the  super- 

58 


CJ)e  Cairo  €j:petiition 


intendent  of  the  arsenal,  he  said :  "I  see  your  neces- 
sities and  will  gladly  do  anything  in  my  power  to 
aid  you  in  your  efforts,  but  I  have  no  authority  to 
deliver  arms  except  by  an  order  of  the  secretary-of- 
war."  To  this  I  answered:  "I  understand  your  posi- 
tion fully,  and  will  give  you  a  guarantee  from  the 
best  men  in  your  city  that  such  an  order  shall  be 
forthcoming  within  a  reasonable  time."  At  this 
point  friends  came  forward,  and  it  was  arranged 
that  I  should  have  five  thousand  stand  of  arms  for 
the  State  of  Illinois,  a  temporary  receipt  to  be 
given,  and  proper  vouchers  to  be  furnished  to  the 
superintendent  in  the  near  future.  The  arms  were 
boxed  at  once  and  delivered  at  the  railway  station. 

While  in  superintendent's  office  for  the  purpose 
of  obtaining  special  time  table  to  run  west  to  Albany, 
I  received  despatch  from  A.  H.  Burley,  Chicago, 
saying:  "Our  State  has  twenty-one  thousand  arms 
from  St.  Louis  this  morning,"  also  a  second  one 
from  the  same,  saying:  "We  are  supplied,  do 
nothing  more."  Both  of  these  despatches  were 
under  date  of  April  26th,  and  on  same  date  received 
answer  to  my  despatch  to  the  secretary  of  war, 
saying: — 

"An  order  has  been  issued  and  sent  to  the  gov- 
ernor of  Illinois  for  the  required  arms. 

"Simon  Cameron,  Secretary-of-War." 

My  application  to  the  commanding  officer  of  the 
Watertown  arsenal  was  successful,  and  on  the  26th 
wired  him  as  follows:  "Send  the  ammunition,  caps, 
etc.,  as  soon  as  possible,  by  Boston  &  Albany  Rail- 
road, arrangements  are  made  with  the  company  to 
forward  with  dispatch.     Mark  <§>  Chicago,  111." 

S.  F.  Gale. 

My  application  was  for  two  hundred  thousand 
rounds  for  smooth-bore  muskets  of  the  Springfield 
pattern.  Advises  from  Chicago  under  date  of  May 
2d,  informed  me  that  the  ammunition  was  received. 

59 


H^eitiiui^ccncc^  of  Cljicago 

While  our  committee's  messenger  was  scour- 
ing the  east  for  guns,  Governor  Yates  was 
trying  to  get  the  United  States  arms  from 
Jefferson  Barracks  at  St.  Louis,  but  as  the 
barracks  were  surrounded  by  rebels,  who  were 
determined  to  take  the  arms  for  their  own  use, 
several  gentlemen,  some  in  high  military  posi- 
tions, declined  to  undertake  it;  but  General, 
then  Captain,  James  H.  Stokes  offered  to  try 
and  was  successful,  and  I  here  give  you  his 
own  account  of  his  expedition,  which  ]ie  kindly 
prepared,  at  my  request: — 

Chicago,  III.,  May  7,  1889. 
Augustus  H.  Burley,  No.  618  Opera  House  Block, 
Chicaj^o. 

ATy  dear  Sir, — In  answer  to  your  kind  letter  of  the 
4th  inst.,  I  take  much  pleasure  in  making  the  follow- 
ing statement: — 

Immediately  following  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter,  in 
April,  1861,  I  was  called  to  Springfield  by  letter 
from  Governor  Yates  of  Illinois,  as  his  military 
adviser.  A  few  days  after  my  arrival  there,  Gov- 
ernor Yates  stated  that  he  had  received  a  warrant 
from  the  war  department  at  Washington,  directing 
the  ordnance  officer  at  the  St.  Louis  arsenal,  to 
turn  over  to  the  governor  of  Illinois,  eight  thousand 
muskets  (8,000)  and  ammunition.  Governor  Yates 
stating  at  the  same  time  that  he  had  in  camp  three 
thousand  volunteers  without  arms  -  that  he  had 
offered  the  warrant  to  an  officer  of  the  regular  army, 
who  declined  serving  it,  stating  that  it  was  impossible 
to  execute  it,  as  the  arsenal  grounds  were  surrounded 
by  rebel  troops.  So  strong  was  the  apprehension 
that  the  rebels  would  frustrate  this  effort  to  relieve 
the  arsenal,  that  I  was  sent  from  Springfield  by 
60 


Zi)t  Cairo  ^jcpebition 


special  railroad  train,  no  one  being  permitted  on  the 
train  but  the  conductor  and  the  necessary  employes. 

Before  leaving  Springfield,  I  made  arrangements 
with  Mr.  Mitchell,  one  of  the  owners  of  the  Alton 
&  St.  Louis  Steamboat  Company,  to  meet  me  on 
the  outskirts  of  St.  Louis,  on  the  evening  of  the 
second  day  thereafter.  On  reaching  St.  Louis,  I 
walked  down  to  the  arsenal  unobserved.  Finding 
the  outer  gate  choked  by  a  great  crowd  of  people, 
principally  rebels,  1  met  a  picket  guard  and  induced 
the  sergeant  to  force  an  opening  through  the  crowd, 
landing  me  inside  of  the  arsenal  gates 

Directed  by  the  inside  guard  to  the  ordnance-offi- 
cer's quarters,  I  gave  him  the  warrant.  After  read- 
ing it,  we  went  to  Captain  (Nathaniel)  Lyon's  quarters, 
commanding  post,  who,  after  reading  the  warrant 
expressed  a  decided  opinion  that  it  was  impossible 
to  move  the  arms  in  the  face  of  the  large  rebel  force 
then  surrounding  the  arsenal,  which  was  said  to  be 
about  eight  thousand  strong,  expecting  daily  to  cap- 
ture the  arsenal  and  war-material.  Captain  Lyon  was 
strong  in  his  opposition.  Captain  Olcutt,  of  the  ord- 
nance corps,  U.S.  army,  urged  and  assisted  me  in 
my  efforts  to  convince  the  commanding  officer  that 
the  arsenal  and  its  contents  would  be  surely  captured 
by  the  rebel  troops,  therefore,  it  would  be  better  to 
make  the  effort  to  remove,  if  possible,  the  ordnance 
stores.  After  along  and  urgent  appeal,  Captain  Lyon 
consented  to  comply  with  the  demands  of  the  warrant. 
Thereupon  I  started  back  to  St.  Louis  to  meet  Mr. 
Mitchell  by  appointment,  and  settled  upon  the  plan, 
and  the  time  for  sending  his  steamer  to  the  arsenal, 
which  was  to  be  at  2  a.m.,  the  following  night, 
returning  to  the  arsenal  under  cover  of  the  night, 
and  thereby  escaping  all  notice.  Our  time  was 
employed  in  trying  to  mislead  the  rebels.  To  this 
end  Captain  Olcutt  the  next  day  sent  several  boxes 
of  old  flint-lock  muskets  to  the  railroad  depot,  in 
St.  Louis,  as  if  for  shipment.  The  boxes  were 
greedily  seized  by  the  rebels  with  great  exultation, 
61 


Jflemmijscciice^  of  Cljicago 

and  much  glorification  was  made  on  account  of  so 
important  a  capture. 

While  preparing  the  guns  for  shipment,  as  ordered 
by  warrant  from  the  war  department,  with  the  aid  of 
Captain  Olcutt,  we  were  much  occupied  in  trying  to 
convince  Captain  Lyon  that  the  call  for  only  eight 
thousand  guns  would  not  relieve  the  arsenal  from 
the  intended  attack  of  the  rebels,  and  that  it  would 
be  better  for  the  country  to  remove  all  the  guns  in 
the  arsenal  to  a  safe  place  in  Illinois,  and  leave  the 
rebels  nothing  to  fight  for.  Before  the  end  of  the 
day  Captain  Lyon  accepted  our  view  of  the  case, 
and  consented  that  I  should  remove  the  larger  por- 
tion of  the  arms,  retaining  only  what  was  necessary 
to  arm  and  equip  the  volunteers  under  his  command. 

The  same  night  the  steamer,  Cily  of  Alton,  from 
Alton,  quietly  floated  down  to  the  arsenal  dock, 
reaching  it  about  2  a.m. 

With  a  force  of  about  four  or  five  hundred  vol- 
unteers, two  thousand  boxes  of  muskets,  with  the 
necessary  ammunition,  a  complete  light-artillery  bat- 
tery, with  its  ammunition  were  quietly  placed  on 
board  the  steamer.  In  all  there  were  about  twenty- 
three  thousand  (23,000)  stand  of  arms. 

During  the  evening  and  night  of  the  shipment, 
seven  or  eight  of  the  rebel  spies  were  captured  inside 
of  the  lines.  After  a  satisfactory  loading  of  the  arms 
on  the  steamer  was  made,  orders  were  given  by  the 
captain  to  cast  off,  and  an  attempt  was  made  to  start 
the  steamer,  but  it  was  found  to  be  hard  upon  a  rock, 
and  all  efforts  failed  to  move  her  by  steam.  It  was 
then  that  Captain  Lyon  under  the  pressure  of  great 
excitement,  backed  by  his  expressed  unwillingness 
to  permit  the  arms  to  be  taken  away,  accused  me  of 
treachery,  with  the  intention  of  delivering  the  arms 
to  the  rebels.  He  knew  that  I  was  a  Southerner  by 
birth  and  education,  and  supposed  me  to  be  liable  to 
any  of  his  suspicions. 

I  bore  his  apprehensions  as  well  as  I  could,  and 
employed  my  efforts  in  having  boxes  and  guns  moved 
62 


€{)c  Cairo  €rpct!ition 


from  the  bow,  where  the  pressure  was  the  greatest. 
In  the  course  of  an  hour  of  hard  work  by  the  soldiers, 
the  steamer  was  relieved.  It  again  floated,  and  we 
started  for  Alton,  without  noise  from  escaping  steam, 
the  captain  directing  the  steam  to  be  discharged  in 
the  coal-hole. 

About  two  miles  up  the  river,  after  leaving 
St.  Louis,  the  channel  of  the  river  made  a  turn  close 
up  to  its  west  bank,  where  there  was  stationed  a  rebel 
battery,  with  their  camp-fires  burning,  apparently  all 
asleep,  so  that  the  steamer  passed  unnoticed,  reaching 
Alton  about  6  a.m.  finding  Mr.  Mitchell  on  the 
dock  awaiting  our  arrival. 

So  soon  as  he  learned  that  we  had  on  board  twenty- 
three  thousand  stand  of  arms,  he  started  for  the  fire- 
alarm  bell  and  rang  it  heartily,  raising  all  the  town, 
under  the  apprehension  of  a  fire.  The  mayor  of  the 
city  with  a  large  crowd  of  citizens  collected  around 
him,  and  when  he  related  to  them  the  cause  of  his 
ringing  the  bell,  and  calling  for  volunteers  to  help  in 
unloading  the  steamer,  the  citizens,  headed  by  the 
mayor,  went  to  the  steamer,  each  four  taking  a  box 
of  guns,  and  soon  transferred  all  to  a  freight  train 
already  standing  on  the  track  near  the  wharf. 

In  the  course  of  an  hour,  everything  was  moved 
to  the  cars,  and  in  safety  we  escaped  to  Springfield, 
reaching  there  about  2  p.m.  where  we  were  met  by 
Governor  Yates,  and  a  large  portion  of  the  legislature. 

The  end  of  this  little  effort  to  obtain  the  twenty- 
three  thousand  stand  of  arms  to  arm  the  volunteers 
already  in  camp  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  as  well  as  a 
portion  of  the  volunteers  in  Wisconsin  and  Indiana, 
was  received  and  acknowledged  by  a  vote  of  thanks 
to  myself,  passed  by  the  legislature  of  the  State  of 
Illinois,  and  approved  by  the  Governor  of  this  State. 1 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  repeat  a   remark 

^See  official  account  of  the  expedition  of  Captain 
Stokes  in  the  "Report  of  the  Adjutant-General  of 
the  State  of  Illinois,"  Vol.  I,  page  241. 

63 


Iflmiini^ccncfjsf  of  Cljicago 

made  by  a  citizen  of  the  State  of  Missouri,  that  by 
the  early  removal  of  these  arms  from  the  arsenal  at 
St.  Louis,  it  destroyed  the  supremacy  of  the  rebel 
forces,  and  smothered  their  intended  invasion  of  the 
State  of  Illinois,  also  keeping  the  rebels  from  taking 
the  State  of  Missouri  out  of  the  Union,  by  a  vote  of 
secession  then  contemplated. 

Very  respectfully, 
"Jas.  H.  Stokes." 

The  arms  obtained  by  Mr.  Gale,  after  being 
placed  on  the  cars  at  Springfield,  Mass.,  were 
stopped  and  returned  to  the  United  States 
arsenal  as  soon  as  the  successof  Captain  Stokes' 
expedition  was  known.  The  ammunition  from 
Watertown  for  the  arms  from  Springfield  came 
through  in  due  time,  and  was  forwarded  to 
Springfield,  Illinois. 

Much  credit  was  due  to  the  officers  of  the 
Michigan  Central  and  the  Great  Western  rail- 
roads for  the  assistance  and  dispatch  given  to 
Mr.  Gale,  and  for  the  service  so  rendered  no 
bill  was  ever  presented  to  the  committee. 

In  order  to  correct  history  and  the  statement 
of  the  adjutant-general  of  the  State,  who  says 
in  his  report:  "That  the  batteries  were  unpro- 
vided with  shot,  shell  or  cannister,  but  slugs 
hurriedly  prepared,"  I  wish  to  state,  that  oiu- 
esteemed  citizen,  the  late  Philetus  Woodworth 
Gates,  started  the  fires  in  his  foundry  at  eleven 
o'clock  Sunday  morning  for  the  purpose  of 
casting  cannon-balls,  and  the  artillery  started 
that  evening  with  four  himdred  roimds  of  fixed 
ammunition  for  its  foiu'  guns. 
64 


Ziye  Cairo  ^xpcliition 


The  first  shot  of  the  war  fired  in  the  West,  was 
a  shot  cast  in  Mr.  Gates'  foundry  on  that  Sunday 
morning,  and  fired  by  a  gun  trained  by  Lieuten- 
ant John  Rudolph  Botsford,  of  Captain  James 
Smith's  company,  of  Chicago  Light  Artillery. 

The  shot  was  fired  across  the  bow  of  a 
steamboat  passing  down  the  river,  bearing 
ammunition  from  St.  Louis  for  the  rebels. 
The  whizzing  of  the  shot  was  too  pointed  an 
invitation  to  come  to  shore  to  be  declined,  and 
the  steamer's  stock  of  munitions  of  war  was 
taken  for  use  in  our  own  army. 

To  show  the  great  prudence  of  the  general 
commanding  the  expedition,  and  his  consider- 
ation for  the  safety  of  his  soldiers,  I  will  men- 
tion what  was  stated  by  those  near  to  him; 
"that  when  approaching  the  Big  Muddy  River 
he  proposed  that  the  platform  cars,  on  which 
the  cannon  were,  should  be  placed  in  front  and 
the  locomotive  in  the  rear  of  the  train,  so  that 
in  case  of  being  attacked,  they  could  use  the 
guns  at  long  range  and  retreat  if  found  neces- 
sary," but  as  the  other  officers  of  the  command 
did  not  agree  with  him,  the  train  proceeded  in 
the  usual  way. 

When  the  Milwaukee  muskets  were  being 
cleaned  and  put  into  order  for  returning,  Mr. 
George  T.  Abbey  found  many  of  them  with 
more  than  one  cartridge  in  the  barrel  and  some 
had  five  or  six;  showing  how  little  the  boys 
knew  of  fire-arms  or  their  use,  having  reloaded 
without  discharging  the  guns. 

65 


ittmini^ccncc^  of  €f)icago 

To  General  Joseph  Stockton  thanks  were  due 
for  his  valuable  assistance  in  obtaining  horses 
for  the  artillery— he  furnished  several  from  his 
own  stock;  also  to  Colonel  Roselle  Marvin 
Hough,  who  was  very  earnest  at  that  time  as 
he  was  subsequently  all  through  the  war. 

The  Cairo  expedition  was  hastily  prepared 
and,  as  before  stated,  furnished  with  such  arms 
as  could  be  obtained — the  men,  mostly  in 
their  every-day  clothes,  some  with  overcoats, 
but  more  without,  a  few  blankets,  fewer  tents, 
and  comparatively  without  camp-equipage  of 
any  kind.  The  starting  for  an  unknown  des- 
tination, ostensibly  for  Springfield;  the  tears 
of  mothers,  wives  and  sisters;  the  fervent  bless- 
ings of  friends;  the  screech  of  steam-whistles 
at  II  o'clock  that  dark  Sunday  night  made  an 
impression  ineffaceable  from  the  memory  of 
all  those  who  were  present. 

The  money  expended  for  the  Cairo  expedi- 
tion and  for  fitting  out  two  regiments,  was 
mostly  refunded  by  the  government,  and  then 
used  in  assisting  the  families  of  those  in  the 
army. 

Cook  County,  by  its  board  of  supervisors, 
appropriated  $30,000  to  assist  the  government, 
and  the  speaker  was  chairman  of  the  war-com- 
mittee, but  as  of  the  first  committee,  all  the 
records  were  destroyed  in  the  fire  of  1 87 1. 

The  first  citizens'  committee  continued  to 
serve  through  186 1  and  1862,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded bv  a  new  and  larger  committee,  but  as 
66 


Zf^t  Cairo  <23jtrpft»ition 


I  resigned  from  it,  I  can  only  say  that  it  devoted 
its  energies  mostly  to  the  assisting  of  General 
John  Charles  Fremont  in  his  Missouri  campaign. 
Of  the  doings  of  the  last  committee  all  records 
were  burned. 

It  must  seem  strange  to  the  young  people  of 
to-day,  that  a  war  came  upon  the  United  States 
twenty-nine  years  ago,  and  that  neither  the 
Federal  nor  State  government  had  money  to 
pay  men  or  to  buy  arms.  The  general  govern- 
ment had  but  few  arms,  and  the  states  still  less. 

Secretary-of-War  John  B.  Floyd,  had  grad- 
ually depleted  the  northern  arsenals,  removing 
the  arms  to  southern  points,  from  which  they 
were  taken  by  the  rebels. 

It  should  be  remembered  and  made  a  matter 
of  history  that  the  first  money  raised  in  Illinois 
for  the  war  was  subscribed  by  citizens  of 
Chicago. 

The  first  armed  force  sent  out  in  the  West 
was  that  sent  to  Cairo,  and  it  was  sent  from 
Chicago. 

The  first  general  in  command  in  the  State  of 
Illinois  was  Richard  Kellogg  Swift,  a  citizen  of 
Chicago. 

The  first  shot  fired  in  the  West  for  the  Union 
was  a  Chicago  shot,  from  a  Chicago  cannon, 
trained  bv  a  Chicago  boy,  of  the  Chicago 
Light  Artillery. 

Thanks  are  also  due  to  our  esteemed  citizen, 
E.  W.  Blatchford,  for  the  assistance  he  ren- 
dered to  Mr.  Gates  on  that  memorable  Sunday. 

67 


Jjimiini^ceiicc^  of  Cf)icago 

Let  us  hope  that  the  horrors  of  war  may 
never  be  brought  upon  our  country,  and  that 
peace  and  harmony  may  henceforth  be  the 
resuhs  of  the  treasure  expended  and  the  sacri- 
fices made  in  the  name  of  Liberty  and  Union. 


WAR    EXCITEMENT    IN    CHICAGO 

[Extract  from  "The  Story  of  My  Life"  by  Mary 
A.  Livermorc] 

In  Chicago,  there  was  even  more  stir  and 
excitement  than  I  had  seen  elsewhere.  Every- 
body was  engrossed  with  the  war  news  and 
the  war  preparations.  The  day  was  full  of 
din  and  bustle,  and  the  night  was  hardly  more 
quiet.  On  the  evening  of  the  very  day  that 
Fort  Sumter  capitulated  to  the  secessionists, 
an  immense  meeting  of  Chicago's  citizens  was 
held  in  the  great  republican  Wigwam,  where 
Abraham  Lincoln  had  been  nominated  for 
the  presidency,  and  ten  thousand  men  of  all 
religious  creeds  and  party  affiliations  came 
together  to  deliberate  on  the  crisis  of  the  hoin-. 
There  was  no  talking  for  effect.  All  the 
speeches  were  short  and  to  the  point.  The 
time  for  harangue  was  over,  the  time  for 
action  had  come.  Before  the  vast  assemblage 
separated,  Judge  Manicrre,  one  of  the  most 
eminent  and  popular  men  of  the  city,  admin- 
istered to  this  great  body  of  people,  the  oath 
of  loyalty  to  the  government.  The  multitude 
68 


€f)c  Cairo  <JBjcpetiition 


rose,  and  with  uncovexed  heads  and  upraised 
right  hands,  repeated  the  words  of  the  follow- 
ing oath : — 

"I  do  solemnly  swear  in  the  presence  of 
Almighty  God,  that  I  will  faithfully  support 
the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  of 
the  State  of  Illinois.     So  help  me  God!" 

Eight  days  after  the  fall  of  Sumter,  troops 
were  dispatched  from  Chicago  to  Cairo,  a 
point  of  great  strategic  importance.  It  is 
situated  at  the  confluence  of  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  rivers,  and  is  the  key  to  navigation 
of  both.  It  is  also  the  southern  terminus  of 
several  railroads,  of  which  the  northern  termini 
are  in  the  very  heart  of  the  great  grain-bearing 
region  of  the  Northwest.  Its  importance  as  a 
military  post  at  that  time  could  not  be  over- 
estimated. If  the  South  had  seized  it,  it  could 
have  controlled  the  railway  combii'iations  of 
the  Northwest,  and  closed  the  navigation  of 
the  two  great  rivers.  Southern  leaders  were 
well  aware  of  the  value  of  Cairo  as  a  railway 
and  river  center,  and  were  hurrying  their 
preparations  to  take  possession  of  the  town. 
But  their  plans  were  checkmated  by  Chicago. 
In  less  than  forty-eight  hours  a  body  of 
infantry  and  a  company  of  artillery,  composed 
entirely  of  young  men  from  the  best  families 
in  the  state,  were  ready  to  start  for  Cairo. 

A  long  train  of  twenty-six  cars,  with  two 
powerful  engines  attached,  waited  at  the 
station,  panting,  puffing  and  shrieking,  as  if 
69 


JUmiini^ccncc^  of  €l)ica0O 

eager  to  be  gone.  As  it  moved  slowly  out 
along  the  pier,  tens  of  thousands  of  people, 
who  lined  the  lake  shore,  bade  the  soldiers 
farewell  with  deafening  cheers.  Round  after 
round  of  hurrahs  rang  out  from  the  Prairie 
City,  and  were  seconded  by  the  long,  shrill 
shrieks  of  all  the  locomotives  employed  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  waiting  at  the  different  rail- 
way stations.  They  were  none  too  soon  in 
their  occupation  of  Cairo,  for  many  of  the 
inhabitants  were  credited  with  a  heavy  leaning 
toward  secession,  and  would  have  been  glad 
to  welcome  Southern  instead  of  Northern 
troops.  The  South  was  in  earnest,  and  the 
North  now  began  to  believe  it. 


70 


Sll^e  War  ^pitit  in  Cl^tcaijo 

[Extract    from      77n-    C/ii<ra^o     Tribune    Tuesday, 
April  23,  1861.] 


YESTERDAY  was  but  a  continuation 
of  the  military  bustle  and  preparation 
of  several  days  preceding.  The  streets 
were  alive  all  day  with  the  movement  of  vol- 
unteers. Everything  gives  way  to  the  war  and 
to  its  demands.  Workmen  from  their  shops, 
printers  from  their  cases,  lawyers  from  their 
offices,  clerks  and  bookkeepers  from  counter 
and  counting-room,  are  busily  drilling",  and  the 
enlistments  are  marvelously  rapid.  But  one 
sentiment  prevails,  and  that  is  for  war  on 
traitors.  Incidents  of  loyalty  and  sacrifice 
press  upon  us  in  such  numbers  that  we  do 
not  attempt  their  narration. 

Our  courts  have  all  adjourned  on  account 
of  war  times  and  incident  excitement.  In  the 
superior  court,  Judge  John  M.  Wilson  called 
the  attention  of  the  bar  to  the  state  of  the 
nation.  He  said  just  now  there  were  more 
important  things  than  lawsuits  to  attend  to. 
The  perpetuity  and  safety  of  our  nation  were 
imperiled,  and  it  was  the  duty  of  every  man  to 
devote  himself  to  its  service.  He  appealed 
to  the  bar  to  know  if  they  did  not  concur  in 
these  sentiments,  and  sustain  him  in  an  adjourn- 

71 


Jltcminisccticr^  of  Cljicago 

ment  of  the  court  sine  die  in  order  that  judges, 
lawyers,  cHents,  jurymen,  and  baihffs  might 
devote  themselves  to  the  cause  of  their  country. 
The  bar  with  one  voice  replied  that  the  Judge 
had  exactly  expressed  their  sentiments,  and 
accordingly  the  court  was  adjourned. 

The  loyalty  and  munificence  of  Solomon 
Sturges,  Esq.,  is  abundantly  shown  by  the 
circumstance  that  he  has  offered  to  arm  and 
equip  at  his  own  expense  a  company  of  eighty 
sharpshooters.  These  are  to  be  made  up  of 
some  of  the  best  shots  in  the  city,  many  of 
them  members  of  the  Audubon  Club,  to  be 
armed  with  the  Maynard  rifle,  sword,  bayonet, 
and  a  pair  of  eight-inch  revolvers;  Mr.  Stur- 
ges to  bear  the  entire  expense  of  their  outfit 
and  drill,  and  to  land  them,  a  crack  company, 
at  whatever  point  they  may  be  ordered.  The 
committee  of  the  corps  are  James  Stell,  N.  E. 
Sheldon,  M.  P.  Forster,  and  Norton  Spencer. 
Their  rendezvous  has  been  located  in  Dole's 
Building. 

A.  D.  Titsworth  &  Company,  clothiers  of 
this  city,  are  getting  up  1 400  uniforms  for  our 
Chicago  troops.  They  are  to  be  the  army 
fatigue  dress  in  "cadet  gray"  cloth,  a  full 
suit,  with  long  surtout  and  heavy  cape.  Each 
sojdier  is  to  be  supplied  with  two  flannel  shirts. 
This  house  has  arrangements  to  make  up  lOOO 
suits  per  week.  In  a  short  time  our  Illinois 
troops  will  be  well  uniformed. 

In  our  reference  to  George  Smith  as  having 
72 


C^e  Wat  .Spirit  in  Cijicago 

donated  $I000  to  the  war  fund,  we  uninten- 
tionally conveyed  the  impression  that  he  stood 
alone  in  such  munificence,  whereas  a  like  sum 
has  been  donated  by  Henry  Farnam,  Esq., 
J.  Y.  Scammon,  Esq.,  and  The  Chicago  Gas 
Light  Company. 

Captain  George  A.  Fuller,  who  is  enrolling 
a  new  company  of  dragoons,  has  his  head- 
quarters at  the  Armory  Building,  has  fifty  or 
sixty  already  enlisted,  and  the  ranks  will  be 
full  by  Wednesday  evening. 

The  Engineer  Sapper  and  Miner  Corps, 
recruiting  at  the  city  surveyor's  office  in  the 
courthouse,  is  fast  filling  up  with  first-class 
mechanics.  They  are  noble-looking  men,  and 
will  do  splendid  service.  Twenty-five  were 
accepted  yesterday  afternoon,  the  first  day. 

The  German  residents,  married  men,  of  the 
ages  of  25  to  45  years,  organized  a  reserve 
corps  yesterday,  a  battalion  of  four  companies, 
electing  officers  who  have  served  in  European 
armies. 

Yesterday  a  fine  company  of  volunteers 
from  Waukegan,  ninety  strong,  came  here  to 
attach  themselves  as  Company  C  of  the  Zouave 
regiment.  They  left  for  Springfield  last  even- 
ing. 

A  fine  company  of  artillery,  one  hundred  and 
one  strong.  Captain  Charles  Houghteling  com- 
manding, came  here  yesterday  and  left  last 
evening  for  Camp  Yates. 

A    company    of    volunteers    from    Aurora, 

73 


l^tcmint^ccnccsf  of  Cljicago 

Kane  County,  numbering  over  one  hundred 
men,  came  into  tliis  city  yesterday,  commanded 
by  Captain  Graesel,  who  led  a  volunteer  com- 
pany from  Detroit  during  the  Mexican  War. 
Colonel  C.  G.  Hammond,  superintendent  of 
the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad, 
in  reply  to  a  telegraphic  despatch  inquiring 
whether  the  company  should  be  passed  free  to 
Chicago,  wrote,  "Yes,  pass  them  free,  and 
God  bless  them!" 

At  7:30  p.m.  the  second  detachment  of 
our  military,  comprising  Captain  Barker's 
Dragoons,  Company  C  Zouaves  (from 
Waukegan),  Captain  Kellogg's  Rumsey 
Guards,  the  Aurora  Artillery,  and  a  fine-look- 
ing company  from  Lockport,  Captain  Hawley 
commander,  left  in  a  special  train  for  the 
capital,  comprising  in  all  nearly  six  hundred 
men. 

The  Highland  Guard  have  formed  Companies 
A  and  B.  Captain  Raffen  commands  the 
former.  They  are  to  leave  this  morning.  The 
Guards  arc  the  color  company  of  the 
Washington  regiment,  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
are  worthily  borne  by  Ensign  Duncan  McLean 
for  six  years  in  the  employ  of  the  G.  &C.  U.  R.  R. 
The  company,  on  this  occasion  of  his  leaving, 
presented  him  with  a  fine  military  outfit. 

Commissary-General  Fowler  has  opened  his 
head([uarters  at  No.  60  Wells  Street,  where  a 
force  of  clerks  and  assistants  are  kept  exceed- 
ingly busy. 

74 


Ci^c  ^ar  ^pivit  in  Chicago 

The  "Union  Rifles,"  a  corps  of  German 
sharpshooters,  armed  with  the  Enfield  rifle, 
are  to  leave  for  Springfield  this  morning. 

All  over  the  city  new  military  organizations 
are  springing  up. 

The  Irish  citizens  are  vying  with  all  other 
classes  in  pressing  forward  into  the  ranks. 
At  the  North  Market  Hall  meeting  on  Saturday 
evening,  in  an  hour  and  a  half  after  the  roll 
list  was  opened,  it  received  the  large  number  of 
three  hundred  and  twenty-five  names.  An 
executive  committee  was  appointed,  consisting 
of  Messrs.  T.  J.  Kinsella,  P.  Conley,  Alderman 
Cominsky,  D.  Quirk  and  P.  Carragher,  to  pro- 
cure the  necessary  equipments  for  the  regiment. 

A  committee  was  also  appointed,  consisting 
of  three  from  each  division  of  the  city,  to 
solicit  donations  for  the  benefit  of  the  families 
of  those  who  enlist. 

The  recruiting  offices  were  announced  as 
follows  :  Captain Gleason  at  the  City  Armory; 
Alderman  Cominsky  at  the  Rock  Island  Freight 
House;  Captains  C.  Walsh  and  O.  Stuart  at 
the  Matteson  House;  Captain  P.  Casey  at 
129  Canal  Street;  and  the  North  Market  Hall 
will  be  for  Captains  McMurray,  Phillips,  Quirk, 
and  Moore.  A  muster  roll  will  also  be  at 
Mr.  Mulligan's  office,  corner  Randolph  and 
Dearborn  streets.  Other  offices  will  hereafter 
be  announced.  A  subscription  book  will  be 
opened  at  the  store  of  J.  J.  Kearney,  No.  167 
South  Clark  Street,  where  will  also  be  received 
75 


iUcmmi^ceiicc^  of  C!)icago 

for  the  regiment  whatever  articles,  such  as 
guns,  pistols,  swords,  etc.,  that  the  friends  of 
the  cause  may  donate.  Contribute  freely  to 
defend  the  old  flag,  and  let  the  cry  be  "Death 
to  traitors." 

It  is  now  permitted  to  transpire  that  the 
first  detachment  of  Chicago  troops  were 
destined  for  Cairo,  and  reported  as  near  there 
last  evening.  They  have  a  battery  of  eight 
pieces,  and  are  well  supplied  with  ammunition 
and  camp  equipage,  and  the  detachment  is 
under  the  command  of  army  ofhcers  of  high 
reputation.  These  troops,  seven  hundred  strong, 
are  located  at  a  most  important  position,  and 
are  worthy  of  the  trust. 

A  strong  detachment  was  left  to  guard  the 
railroad  bridge  at  Muddy  Creek,  which  has 
been  threatened,  and  which,  if  destroyed,  could 
not  soon  be  rebuilt. 


THE  COMMITTEE  OF  SAFETY 

[From  Th,:  Chicir^o   T)ibu>u\  April  2;,,  1861.] 

Office  of  the  Chicago  Committee  of  Safety 
Numbers  44  and  46  La  Salle  Street,  April  22,  1861 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Committee  the  following 
gentlemen  were  added  to  its  members:  Messrs. 
A.  H.  Burley,  E.  I.  Tinkham,  James  Long. 

E.  H.  Hadduck,  Esq.,  owing  to  his  many 
duties,  tendered  his  resignation,  which  was 
accepted. 

76 


€()c  W^t  Spirit  in  €l)icago 

On  motion,  Mr.  A.  H.  Burley  was  elected 
president,  and  Messrs.  E.  I.  Tinkham  and 
James  Long,  vice-presidents. 

The  following  now  constitute  the  committee : 

A.  H.  Burley,  President. 

E.  I.  Tinkham,  Vice-President. 

James  Long,  Vice-President. 

Samuel  Hoard,  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

E.  H.  Hadduck. 

W.  T.  Mather. 

Julian  S.  Rumsey. 

Thos.  B.  Bryan. 

L.  P.  HilHard. 

Orrington  Lunt. 

Per  order, 

Sam'i.  Hoard,  Sec'y. 


77 


SI  (llniUv^it^  Volunteer 

[An  Untold  Chapter  in  Evanston's  History  as  Re- 
lated by  General  John  A.  Page,  who  at  the  Outbreak 
of  the  Civil  War  was  a  Student  in  Northwestern 
University.  From  ZV/c"  li-ianston  Daily  A't-7vs, 
May  29,  1914.] 


GENERAL  JOHN  A.  PAGE  is  a  name 
which  was  well  known  to  early  Evans- 
tonians.  Even  many  of  the  more 
modern  ones  know  hitn,  for  he  comes  back  to 
Evanston  from  time  to  time  to  renew  old 
friendships  and  visit  old  scenes.  His  career 
in  the  army  has  been  an  enviable  one  and 
Evanston  can  take  especial  pride  in  it;  for  he 
was  one  of  the  students  at  Northwestern  when 
the  civil  war  began.  His  picture  of  Evanston 
at  that  time  is  one  which  has  never  been  pub- 
lished before  and  is  an  important  contribution 
to  our  local  history.  Equally  so  is  the  story 
of  the  enlistment  of  the  first  men  in  Chicago 
for  the  greatest  struggle  in  the  history  of  the 
world. 

This  is  the  first  publication  of  these  recollec- 
tions. I  have  written  this  introduction  at  the 
request  of  the  editor,  but  the  story  itself  is 
filled  with  such  a  vivid  interest  that  it  would 
be  a  bold  man  who  would  think  he  could  add 
anything  to  it. 

79 


!5cmtni-0fcenrc^  of  Chicago 

"Recollections  of  i86i  as  Seen  Through  a 
Boy's  Eyes"  is  the  title  General  Page  wrote 
for  his  sketch,  which  is  as  follows: — • 

In  1 86 1  I  was  a  boy  in  my  teens.  My 
father  being  an  army  officer,  I  was  born  in  the 
service,  and  as  we  say  in  the  army,  "in  the 
knapsack." 

My  earliest  recollections  of  boyhood  days 
were  of  New  Castle,  Delaware,  the  home  of 
my  mother.  The  members  of  my  family  were 
slave  owners.  Nigger  Bill,  a  boy  of  my  own 
age,  was  given  to  me  as  a  birthday  present. 
He  was  no  common  darky,  was  intelligent, 
handsome,  powerful  of  limb.  We  were  in- 
separable companions,  and  I  dared  knock  the 
chip  off  the  shoulder  of  any  boy  in  town,  as 
Bill  did  the  fighting  for  me.  He  could  pick 
up  and  carry  between  his  toes,  without  being 
detected,  more  marbles  than  any  darky  on  the 
village  green,  but  being  high  toned,  never 
bothered  himself  with  anything  but  twenty- 
five  cent  alleys.  Of  course,  as  Bill  belonged 
to  me,  the  alleys  went  into  my  bag. 

One  day  we  wandered  down  to  the  wharf  to 
meet  the  steamboat  that  carried  peaches  from 
the  Rie  Bold  farms  to  Philadelphia.  They 
landed  the  quota  of  baskets  belonging  to  the 
town,  and  as  thev  cast  off,  some  one  reached 
down,  grappled  Bill  bv  the  collar  of  his  coat 
and  landed  him  on  the  deck  of  the  boat.  That 
was  the  last  of  Bill.  It  was  my  first  sorrow, 
and  although  the  navigation  company  paid 
80 


a  ant^crs^itp  Volunteer 

eight  hundred  dollars  for  him,  what  was  gold 
to  a  boy  in  place  of  a  negro  companion? 

With  the  loss  of  my  possessions  I  lost  caste, 
and  was  reduced  from  a  first-class  power  to  a 
fifth-rate  one.  I  relate  this  incident  of  my 
early  life  to  show  that  I  was  conversant  with 
the  institution  that  in  future  years  made  a 
soldier  of  me. 

Seven  years  of  my  school  days  were  spent 
abroad,  where  among  foreigners  I  learned  to 
revere,  to  adore,  the  flag  of  my  country; 
and  I  would  advise  any  one  who  does  not 
appreciate  the  thrill  that  pervades  our  hearts 
at  the  sight  of  our  flag  to  go  to  strange  lands, 
where  in  a  short  time  his  eyes  will  seek  the 
emblem  of  his  home,  its  sight  will  warm  his 
soul,  and  he  will  return  to  his  native  land  a 
wiser  and  better  American. 

At  the  pension  in  Paris  where  I  attended 
school,  there  were  from  three  to  four  hundred 
students.  On  our  national  holidays  we  would 
gather  around  the  Stars  and  Stripes  and  sing 
'  'The  Home  of  the  Brave  and  the  Land  of  the 
Free."  The  foreigners,  especially  the  English, 
admitted  the  "brave"  part  of  our  song,  but 
taunted  us  about  the  land  of  the  free.  It  was 
a  hard  knot  for  us  to  wrestle  with,  and  it  set  us 
to  thinking. 

On  my  return  home  the  political  campaign 

of   i860  soon   engrossed  the  attention  of  my 

countrymen.     I  became  a  Wide-awake,  donned 

the  oil-cloth  cape,  and  carried  my  coal-oil  torch. 

81 


lUemmi^catcc^  of  Cljicago 

At  this  period  I  was  a  student  at  tlie 
Northwestern  University  at  Evanston,  Illinois. 
They  were  generally  Lincoln  men,  with  the 
exception  of  some  Southern  members.  We 
debated  in  our  societies  the  issues  of  the  day, 
and  thrashed  over  the  old  straw  that  had  not 
even  dust  remaining  in  it;  while  our  political 
giants  were  arousing  our  people  to  a  fever  heat 
over  the  question  of  slavery,  that  was  fast 
driving  our  country  to  the  terrible  war  that 
finally  untied  the  knotty  question  that  bothered 
us  Americans  when  singing  "The  Home  of  the 
Brave  and  the  Land  of  the  Free." 

The  November  election  was  over;  Abraham 
Lincoln  was  to  be  the  next  president. 

Then  began  the  machinations  of  the  dis- 
affected to  destroy  the  republic.  The  papers 
of  the  day  were  filled  with  inflammatory  ar- 
ticles. Secession  was  advocated  openly  and 
boldly.  We  students  became  restless.  There 
was  a  feeling  that  the  tenor  of  our  lives  would 
be  changed,  and  that  the  event  was  not  far  off. 
Inauguration  day  had  passed  and  hopes  were 
expressed  that  the  storm  that  was  brewing 
would  pass  away;  but  on  the  ninth  day  of 
April  that  fatal  gun  at  Charleston  boomed 
over  the  land.  The  die  was  cast;  it  was  for 
war. 

The   time   had   come   to   show  your  colors. 

Fort  Sumter  had  been  bombarded  and   forced 

to   surrender.      We    cast   about    to   procure   a 

flag  to  raise  over  the  university  building,  but 

82 


none  could  be  found.  Bunting  could  not  be 
purchased;  the  loyal  people  had  exhausted  the 
supply,  so  the  girl  students  set  their  nimble 
fingers  to  work  and  presented  us  one  made 
from  calico;  and  in  the  presence  of  the  whole 
population  of  the  surrounding  country,  we 
hauled  it  to  the  peak  of  the  flagstaff  and  then 
and  there  raising  our  right  hands  swore  to 
protect  the  honor  of  that  flag  with  our  lives. 

It  was  a  solemn,  sad,  and  impressive  scene: 
boys  in  their  teens  dedicating  their  young  lives 
to  their  country.  And  well  they  kept  their 
oaths;  the  village,  the  city,  and  the  national 
cemeteries  bear  witness  to  their  devotion  to 
the  Union.  In  every  army  of  our  land,  east  and 
west,  the  Northwestern  students,  the  brawny 
lads  of  the  West,  shared  with  their  countrymen 
the  dangers  of  the  battle  field,  the  privations 
and  hardships  of  the  camp  and  the  march. 
The  prisons  of  the  South  and  tfie  lonely 
unknown  grave  claimed  their  quota  of  my 
companions. 

The  excitement  became  so  intense  that 
books  were  abandoned,  many  began  to  pack 
their  trunks,  all  were  waiting  for  something  to 
turn  up,  when  the  news  came  that  the  Presi- 
dent had  called  for  75,000  militia  for  three 
months'  service.  It  being  late  Saturday  and 
no  Sunday  trains  in  those  days,  many  of  us 
walked  to  Chicago  where  we  found  everybody 
on  the  streets,  flags  flying  from  every  house. 
It  was  said  that  they  were  waiting  to  hear 
83 


itlntiim^ccncc^  of  Cfjicago 

from  the  Governor  of  the  State;  that  on  Mon- 
day enhsting  would  certainly  begin.  We 
returned  home  on  a  freight  train  late  that 
night  and  early  Sunday  morning  disseminated 
the  news.  Monday  we  marched  to  the  morn- 
ing train;  there  was  standing  room  only,  the 
cars  being  packed  with  country  boys  on 
the  same  mission  as  ourselves.  Arriving  in 
Chicago,  we  struck  out  for  State  Street,  where, 
before  the  armory  of  the  Ellsworth  Zouaves, 
the  crowd  was  so  dense  we  could  not  get  near 
it.  We  tried  several  other  places  where  we 
heard  they  were  enlisting  men,  but  were  too 
late.  ' '  No  more  men  wanted, ' '  was  placarded 
on  the  buildings,  and  the  guard  stationed  so 
no  one  could  enter. 

The  Military  Battery  of  Chicago  was  an  old 
organization.  A  number  of  us  had  friends  in 
the  command,  and  they  had  given  us  a  tip  and 
list  of  students  they  desired  in  the  company; 
so  we  quit  the  crowd  and  went  to  their  armory, 
where  the  same  placard  stared  us  in  the  face, 
"No  more  men  wanted."  But  we  found  a 
number  of  the  battery  who  quietly  led  us  in 
the  back  way;  they  had  kept  places  for  us,  but 
we  must  get  recommendation  from  some  prom- 
inent person,  as  the  clamor  was  so  great 
outside  to  get  into  the  battery  they  desired  to 
fortify  their  refusal  with  our  recommendations. 
These  were  easily  procured.  The  complement 
of  men  being  secured,  the  books  were  closed 
and  the  fact  announced,  from  a  second-story 
84 


31  antbcr^itp  Boluntcec 

window,  to  the  crowd  below,  who  received  it 
with  a  howl  of  disappointment. 

We  were  informed,  as  they  only  had  four 
guns  (they  were  six-pounders),  the  old  mem- 
bers would  go  to  the  front  first,  and  as  soon  as 
they  could  get  two  more  guns  we  would  be 
notified.  The  citizens  of  Chicago  presented 
the  battery  with  horses,  and  we  followed  the 
fortunate  ones  to  the  depot  to  see  them  off  for 
Cairo,  where  they  had  been  ordered.  Thou- 
sands of  young  men  were  clamoring  to  enlist, 
but  the  quota  of  Illinois  had  been  filled;  they, 
however,  kept  to  work  forming  companies  on 
their  own  account,  drilling  and  preparing  them- 
selves for  the  future. 

We  received  letters  from  Cairo  saying  they 
expected  two  more  guns  soon,  but  we  were 
impatient  and  wrote  back  that  we  could  not 
wait  any  longer;  so  in  a  few  days  a  sergeant 
was  sent  for  us,  our  detachment  was  assembled 
and  put  en  route  to  join  our  companies.  We 
found  them  encamped  in  the  bottom  in  the 
rear  of  the  levee,  and  very  glad  to  see  us. 

One  gun  detachment  was  up  the  Mississippi, 
and  one  up  the  Ohio.  They  had  cut  embra- 
sures through  the  gypsum  weeds  on  the  levees 
to  be  able  to  get  a  view  of  the  rivers. 

Their  duty  was  to  hail  every  boat  that  came 
down  stream  —  make  them  blow  their  whistle 
so  that  the  fort  at  the  junction  of  the  rivers 
could  be  ready  for  them  in  case  they  tried  to 
run  by  with  contraband  goods  for  the  South. 
85 


Jl[ntiim^cmccjef  of  ^fjicago 

Cairo  was  a  busy  beehive:  camps  were 
everywhere;  steamboats,  gunboats,  were  com- 
ing and  going;  from  morning  till  night  it  was 
drill,  drill,  drill.  When  it  rained  the  mud  was 
deep  and  sticky,  pools  of  water  soon  formed, 
and  mounted  drills  had  to  be  suspended;  when 
it  dried  up,  the  ground  caked,  cracked,  and 
pulverized  into  an  impalpable  and  suffocating 
dust. 

There  was  no  poetry  in  our  lives;  rations 
were  good,  cooking  indifferent,  work  hard. 
As  a  new  regiment  arrived,  the  men  flocked  to 
our  camp  to  see  battery  drill;  few  of  them  had 
ever  seen  a  gun,  so  we  generally  had  an  appre- 
ciative and  enthusiastic  audience. 

Having  but  four  six-pounders,  our  detach- 
ment was  attached  to  these  gun  squads.  In 
time  we  found  out  that  we  were  having  the 
largest  share  of  work  put  upon  us;  so  soon 
will  men  become  old  soldiers  and  learn  the 
tricks  of  the  trade. 

We  late  comers  were  looked  upon  as  fresh 
fish,  and  were  treated  accordingly;  we  were  so 
green  it  took  us  some  time  to  discover  we 
were  being  imposed  upon. 

Our  ideas  of  discipline  were  very  vague; 
articles  of  war  or  regulations  were  a  myth  to 
us.  We  were  obedient,  and  performed  our 
allotted  tasks  because  we  had  been  brought  up 
to  do  so.  We  did  not  have  any  reverence  for 
rank,  nor  did  we  appreciate  the  difference 
between  a  general,  colonel,  or  captain. 
86 


SI  Onibetj^itp  IBoluntttx 

We  looked  upon  them  as  men  much  older 
than  ourselves,  therefore  paid  deference  to 
them. 

One  day  a  number  of  us  youngsters  were  at 
the  St.  Charles  Hotel.  We  dropped  into  the 
wineroom,  but  could  not  get  near  the  buffet. 
General  Grant,  Colonel  Oglevie,  and  a  number 
of  other  officers  who  became  renowned  during 
the  war,  with  glasses  in  hand  and  facing  each 
other,  were  talking  about  steamboats,  rations, 
wagons,  pontoons,  a  conversation  that  was  not 
at  all  interesting  to  us.  We  waited  patiently, 
but  they  took  no  notice  of  us.  So  we  squeezed 
in  between  them  and  by  gentle  pressure  moved 
them  back  from  the  coveted  walnut  boards; 
and  while  our  chiefs  sipped  their  lemonade  and 
discussed  grand  tactics  and  strategy,  we,  the 
youthful  tools  that  made  their  combinations  pos- 
sible, sucked  our  sweetened  water  through 
straws  and  talked  of  home,  with  its  good  things 
to  eat.  There  was  no  intention  on  our  part 
of  being  disrespectful,  nor  did  we  realize  that 
we  were  rude.  We  were  boys  and  acted  like 
boys ;  the  old  gentlemen  treated  us  as  such 
and  did  not  bother  themselves  about  us. 
/ui  passant,  I  will  say  I  never  tried  to  elbow 
General  Grant  again. 

By_  the  time  the  news  of  Bull  Run  reached 
us,  the  boys  had  had  time  to  get  their  wind  in 
the  intrenchments  of  Washington ;  and  some 
few  did  not  recognize  their  old  camp  grounds, 
and  passed   on,  and  strengthened   themselves 


Jflcminiifcettce^  of  Cljicago 

with  fresh  oysters  at  Fulton  Market,  New  York 
City.  We  did  not  feel  downcast,  nor  do  I 
remember  of  any  of  us  being  paralyzed  by  the 
defeat.  Was  not  our  Battery  "A"  and 
Battery  "B"  at  Bird's  Point  still  on  deck? 
Where  was  Payne's  Ninth  and  McArthur's 
Twelfth  Illinois,  Wallace's  Indianians,  Smith's 
Eighth  Missouri  wharf-rats,  and  a  host  of  other 
regiments  spoiling  for  a  fight  ?  We  were 
indignant  at  the  report  that  a  three-months' 
regiment's  time  having  expired,  they  refused 
to  enter  the  fight.  Our  time  had  expired, 
too,  but  we  were  not  going  to  leave  any 
loophole  open  to  keep  us  out  of  battle,  and 
there  being  no  mustering  officer  at  Cairo,  we 
passed  around  the  hat,  chipped  in  and  paid  the 
expenses  of  a  sergeant  to  go  to  St.  Louis  and 
bring  one  down.  This  is  the  way  we  got  in 
"for  three  years  or  the  war." 

Bird's  Point,  just  across  from  Cairo,  in 
Missouri,  was  an  intrenched  camp.  This  is 
where  I  first  met  Private  J.  Q.  White  of 
Taylor's  Battery,  our  late  and  lamented 
recorder,  who  was  then  just  as  vivacious, 
patriotic,  and  full  of  vim  as  when  you  knew 
him  as  a  member  of  our  commandery. 

Our  camp  duties  became  very  monotonous; 
sickness  was  telling  on  the  command;  and  the 
younger  boys  began  to  long  for  home. 

They  were  furloughed  by  squads;  but  as 
soon  as  they  changed  climate,  malarial  fever 
broke   out,  so  it  was  deemed  unwise  to  grant 


^  aniber^itp  l^oluntcer 

any  more.  We  were  longing  for  a  change,  when, 
on  the  fifth  of  September,  orders  came  for  us 
to  be  ready  to  strike  tents  and  move  at  once. 
New  hfe  was  infused  into  us,  Hmber  chests 
were  put  in  order,  everything  was  ready  for 
action.  At  sundown  we  marched  to  the  landing. 
There  we  found  Payne's  Ninth  and  McArthur's 
Twelfth  Illinois  regiments  embarking  in  steam- 
boats. Our  battery  was  soon  stowed  away, 
and  with  the  gunboats  Tyler  and  Conestaga 
leading,  we  started  up  the  Ohio. 

None  of  us  knew  where  we  were  going,  but 
we  felt  we  were  on  important  business.  At 
daylight  we  were  all  awake;  Paducah  was  our 
destination.  I  expected  to  be  one  of  the  gun 
squads,  but  received  an  order  to  report  as 
orderly  to  Colonel  Wagner  of  the  artillery  in 
the  cabin  above,  where  General  Grant,  Captain 
Foote  of  the  navy,  and  staff  officers  were 
assembled.  As  soon  as  the  boats  landed,  the 
infantry  skirmishers  at  a  run  disappeared  in  the 
town,  our  battery  soon  rattling  after  them.  I 
heard  General  Grant  complimenting  the  battery 
and  saying  he  would  make  a  special  application 
for  tv/o  more  guns  for  us.  We  had  anticipated 
the  enemy,  who  were  reported  not  far  away ; 
the  few  in  town  skipped  out,  so  we  did  not 
have  a  chance  to  distinguish  or  extinguish 
ourselves. 

Earthworks  were  thrown  up,  re-enforcements 
began  to  arrive,  and  General  Charles  F.  Smith 
was  placed  in  command. 
89 


^tmrni^ttntt^  of  €f)tcago 

I  was  a  sentinel  at  Battery  No.  2  one  day, 
when  the  General,  followed  by  an  orderly, 
approached  my  post.  To  me  he  was  the 
handsomest  man  I  had  ever  seen.  His  long 
white  mustache,  erect  figure,  soldierly  appear- 
ance and  dignity  combined,  left  an  ineffaceable 
imprint  on  my  memory.  His  orderly  was  a 
bugler  boy  from  the  regular  cavalry.  While 
the  General  was  listening  to  my  recital  of  my 
order,  the  orderly,  with  his  horse  pawing  the  air, 
was  winking  and  making  faces  at  me.  As  they 
rode  off  I  hardly  knew  whether  to  wish  I  was 
the  General  or  the  orderly.  At  breakfast  one 
morning  our  sergeant-major  handed  me  an 
official  letter,  and  from  its  numerous  re-direc- 
tions it  had  followed  me  for  some  time.  It 
was  a  commission,  duly  signed  by  the  President, 
appointing  me  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  Third 
United  States  Infantry,  with  orders  to  report 
for  duty  with  my  regiment  at  Washington  city. 
I  did  not  want  it.  My  brother,  seventeen 
months  younger,  had  enlisted  with  me;  I  did  not 
want  to  leave  him  or  my  companions,  but  was 
told  to  obey  orders.  My  squad  groomed  me 
down  nicely  and  I  reported  at  General  Smith's 
headquarters  for  discharge. 

The  front  office  was  occupied  by  a  youngster 
of  my  own  age  ;  he  was  dressed  in  shiny-topped 
boots,  spurs,  feet  on  table,  smoking  a  huge 
cigar  and  reading  the  morning  paper.  I 
inquired  if  the  General  was  in.  "He  is  not," 
was  the  reply.  I  asked, '  'When  will  he  be  in.'* ' ' 
90 


^  aniijer^itp  Volunteer 

The  answer  was,  "I  am  not  his  keeper,  and  he 
does  not  get  up  with  the  chickens."  Realizing 
that  I  was  a  rather  early  caller,  I  returned  later 
and  was  ushered  into  his  presence.  The  General 
looked  at  my  communication,  told  me  to  take 
a  seat,  and  congratulated  me  on  being  an  officer 
of  the  Third  United  States  Infantry.  He  said 
it  was  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  regiments  in 
the  service  and  trusted  I  would  be  an  honor  to 
it.  Tapping  a  bell,  my  flip  young  officer,  to 
whom  I  had  taken  an  intense  dislike,  appeared, 
and  orders  were  given  for  my  discharge.  The 
General  looked  over  a  pamphlet  on  his  desk, 
informed  me  that  the  officer  who  had  just  left 
was  a  regular,  a  fifth  of  August  appointee,  the 
same  batch  to  which  I  belonged,  but  that  I 
ranked  him. 

General  Smith  was  at  this  time  colonel  of 
the  Third  Infantry,  my  regiment,  but  he  did 
not  so  inform  me.  On  leaving  the  General, 
my  youngster,  to  whom  I  had  taken  an  intense 
dislike,  met  me  with  extended  hand,  smiling 
face,  and  one  of  his  huge  cigars.  He  said  if 
I  would  wait  a  few  minutes  until  the  adjutant- 
general  relieved  him,  he  would  wet  my  com- 
mission in  true  Kentucky  style,  which  he  did. 

The  dislikes  of  youth  are  not  very  deep- 
rooted.  On  returning  to  camp,  I  found  my 
brother  had  received  an  order  to  report  for 
duty  to  General  Fremont.  We  took  the  boat 
for  Cairo  and  went  at  once  to  General  Grant's 
office  to  get  transportation  to  St.  Louis. 

91 


JHemiui^ccncc^  of  CI)icago 

I  recognized  the  General,  sitting  behind  a 
wire  screen,  and  handed  him  my  papers.  He 
looked  at  my  commission  and  seemed  to  be 
buried  in  deep  thought;  then  he  looked  at  me 
intently,  and  repeated  several  times,  "John 
Page."  Just  then  an  old  gray-headed  officer 
tapped  him  on  the  shoulder  and  called,  ''Time." 
The  General  awoke  from  his  reverie  and  turned 
my  papers  over  to  some  one  else.  General 
Grant  on  graduating  from  West  Point  was 
assigned  to  the  Fourth  Infantry,  then  stationed 
at  Jefferson  Barracks  near  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
My  father,  John  Page,  was  a  captain  of  the 
regiment,  and  took  a  fancy  to  the  young 
lieutenant.  The  friendship  was  reciprocated. 
My  father  was  mortally  wounded  at  Palo  Alto 
by  having  his  jaw  carried  away  by  a  cannon 
ball;  it  was  the  first  blood  Grant  saw  shed  on 
a  battle-field.  No  doubt  his  thoughts,  when 
looking  at  my  commission,  were  wandering 
back  to  early  days.  Going  to  the  St.  Charles 
Hotel,  I  registered  my  name  for  the  first  time 
with  "U.  S.  Army"  as  a  handle  to  it.  My 
brother  and  I  were  dressed  in  private  uniforms, 
gray  in  color  and  piped  with  red.  The  clerk 
sized  us  up  and  gave  us  quarters  according  to 
our  ranks  —  an  attic  room  as  near  heaven  as 
he  could  get  us.  We  paid  our  board  in  advance 
and  left  word  to  be  wakened  at  six  next  morn- 
ing. During  the  evening,  when  the  lobby  was 
crowded  with  officers,  a  patrol  appeared.  We 
were  the  only  privates  visible,  so  the  officer  in 
92 


^  aniberj^itp  l^oluntcer 

charge  made  for  us  and  demanded  our  passes. 
I  showed  him  my  commission,  but  he  said  it 
was  no  good  and  for  us  to  "fall  in."  Just 
then  an  officer  interfered,  looked  at  my  orders, 
and  told  the  guard  we  were  all  right.  I  asked 
a  bellboy  who  it  was  that  had  saved  us  from 
the  lock-up.  "Colonel  McPherson,  one  of 
those  regulars  that  musters  the  boys  in,"  was 
his  reply.  This  officer  was  promoted  to  major- 
general  and  was  the  James  B.  McPherson  who 
was  killed  July  22,  1864,  near  Atlanta. 

It  was  almost  eight  o'clock  when  we  woke 
up;  they  had  failed  to  call  us;  our  train  had  left. 
We  were  very  angry  but  it  did  no  good.  The 
clerk  said  if  we  wanted  to  remain  for  the  next 
train,  we  would  have  to  plank  down  the  where- 
withal to  secure  our  heavenly  attic.  Having 
but  fifty  cents  between  us,  we  could  not  do  it, 
but  we  took  our  revenge  out  by  eating  a  break- 
fast that  lasted  us  for  twenty-four  hours.  That 
night,  curled  up  in  our  blankets  among  the  cot- 
ton bales  on  the  levee,  with  the  stars  above 
blinking  at  us,  we  slept  as  only  soldier  boys  can 
sleep.  We  took  the  train  for  Odin,  and  the 
conductor  honored  our  transportation  request, 
but  failed  to  give  us  transfers  for  St.  Louis;  we 
boarded  the  train,  however,  which  was  filled 
with  Mulligan's  paroled  men.  They  took  a 
fancy  to  us  and  insisted  upon  our  taking  a  wee 
drop  from  their  canteens.  The  conductor 
called  for  our  tickets;  I  explained  the  circum- 
stances. He  said  he  guessed  we  would  have 
93 


itlciiiim^caice^  of  <CJ)icago 

to  get  off  at  the  next  station;  Mulligan's  men 
said  they  guessed  not.  The  Mulligan  guess 
was  the  best. 

On  reaching  St.  Louis  we  went  to  General 
Fremont's  headquarters;  they  occupied  a  fine 
private  residence.  The  house  was  on  an  eleva- 
tion from  the  street,  the  lot  being  surrounded 
by  a  retaining  wall.  The  entrance  to  the 
grounds  was  guarded  by  two  cavalrymen,  their 
sabres  crossed;  the  wall  was  lined  with  them, 
their  feet  dangling  over  it.  They  were  jeering 
at  everybody  that  passed.  When  we  stated 
we  desired  to  see  General  Fremont  it  produced 
a  howl,  and  we  were  invited  in  not  very  choice 
or  polite  language  to  go  to  the  lower  regions. 

My  uncle.  Major  J.  H.  Eaton,  who  had 
resigned  his  commission  as  a  captain  of  the 
Third  Infantry  in  1858,  had  re-entered  the 
service  as  major  and  paymaster  of  volunteers, 
and  was  military  secretary  to  General  Fremont. 
We  could  see  him  at  his  desk  in  the  conserv- 
atory, and  in  time  we  attracted  his  attention. 
He  sent  an  orderly  for  us. 

Entering  the  building,  a  strange  sight  greeted 
us.  It  was  a  motley  crew  of  officers  dressed  in 
all  kinds  of  uniforms,  some  with  leather  hip 
riding  boots  with  a  thousand  wrinkles  in  them; 
others  with  leather  breeches  with  a  strip  of 
cloth  reaching  to  the  knee;  their  headgear  were 
Garibaldi  and  other  piratical-looking  hats;  their 
sabres  were  clanking  on  the  floor  and  at  every 
step  their  spurs  jingled;  they  were  smoking  and 
94 


31  aniber^itp  l^olunteer 

all  talking  at  once  in  every  language  except  plain 
American.  The  scene  was  so  novel  and  outre 
that  I  forgot  to  follow  the  orderly  until  he 
aroused  me  from  my  reverie.  I  asked  my 
uncle  what  it  meant.  He  evaded  my  question, 
but  said  the  noise  was  so  great  in  there  that  he 
had  been  compelled  to  move  his  desk  into  the 
conservatory;  that  the  cavalrymen  were  Zagonis 
men;  that  there  were  500  cavalry  and  500 
infantry  constituting  General  Fremont's  body- 
guard; that  he  had  secured  a  second  lieutenancy 
for  my  brother  in  the  infantry  contingent.  A 
bodyguard  to  me  was  a  new  revelation.  I  had 
never  run  across  one  in  the  regions  where  I  had 
been  serving. 

At  my  home  in  Evanston  they  had  been 
anticipating  my  arrival;  my  sash,  sword  and 
revolver  were  awaiting  me;  the  younger  portion 
of  the  family  presented  me  with  a  poignard 
about  eight  inches  long,  the  letters  "X.  C.  L." 
etched  on  its  bright  blade;  the  scabbard  was 
of  red  leather.  No  doubt  some  of  you  remem- 
ber that  redoubtable  weapon  of  our  early  day 
warriors.  My  uniform  was  made  on  a  rush 
order.  The  shoulder  strap  was  the  typical 
strap  of  the  second  lieutenant  of  those  days; 
it  was  ample  in  size,  of  double  row  of  heavy 
bullion,  worked  on  light  blue  velvet. 

[After  an  illness  of  two  months,  Lieut.  Page  left 
to  join  the  Third  U.S.  Infantry  at  Washington  under 
Gen.  McClellan,  and  was  thereafter  with  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac. — En.] 

95 


3lmerican  i^oUmteer  ^oltiier 

[Extract   from   the   unpublished   memoir  of  General 
Alexander  C.  McClurg.] 


TO  the  citizen  soldier  who  took  active  part 
in  the  marches,  campaigns  and  battles 
of  the  Civil  War,  no  other  part  of  his 
life,  no  matter  how  active  and  enterprising  it 
may  have  been,  or  how  successful,  can  rival 
in  interest  the  years  passed  as  a  volunteer  in 
his  country's  service.  Then,  if  ever,  he  was 
acting  under  unselfish  and  generous  impulses — 
following  and  seeking  not  his  own  interest  and 
advancement,  but  what  he  believed  to  be  beyond 
price  or  valuation,  his  country's  safety,  in- 
tegrity and  prosperity,  the  interests  and  happi- 
ness of  the  men,  women  and  children  of 
America,  and,  as  it  seemed  to  many  of  us,  the 
future  welfare  of  the  world  and  mankind. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  great  majority  of 
those  who  in  the  earlier  days  of  the  war 
devoted  themselves  to  their  country's  service 
did  so  in  opposition  to  their  personal  inclina- 
tion, and  with  the  conviction  that  they  were 
sacrificing,  temporarily  at  least,  their  personal 
best  interests  for  a  more  sacred  cause.  Some 
doubtless  enlisted  from  a  love  of  adventure, 
and,  later,  others  were  tempted  by  liberal  cash 

97 


^Itcitiini^ccnce^  of  CJjicago 

bounties  —  but  this  was  not  the  case  in  the 
early  years  of  the  war.  Those  who  enHsted 
were  of  course  nearly  all  young  men,  just 
entering  upon,  or  just  about  to  enter  upon,  the 
activities  of  life.  Hope  and  ambition  were 
urging  them  forward  in  some  chosen  career 
which  should  bring  competence  and  ease  in 
later  life.  They  longed  to  stay  at  home  and 
to  enter  upon  their  life  work;  but  something 
higher  and  nobler  than  their  own  self-interest 
beckoned  them  to  the  field  where  the  life  and 
integrity  of  their  beloved  country  must  be 
fought  for  in  bloody  battles.  They  could  not 
be  deaf  to  the  calls  which  were  sounding  all 
around  them.  The  periodical  press  was  full 
of  patriotic  appeals.  Every  rostrum  resounded 
with  the  fervid  eloquence  of  anxious  lovers  of 
their  country.  Orators,  like  Wendell  Phillips 
and  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  and  statesmen,  like 
Lincoln  and  Seward,  poured  forth  the  most 
soul-stirring  picas  to  save  the  Union. 

To  the  young  and  enthusiastic,  all  the  familiar 
patriotic  words  of  the  poets  not  only  echoed 
and  re-echoed  through  heart  and  brain,  but 
took  a  new  and  practical  meaning. 

"Breathes  there  the  man  with  soul  so  dead 
Who  never  to  himself  hath  said 
This  is  my  own,  my  native  land !" 

"Sail  on,  O  ship  of  state! 
Sail  on,  O  linion,  strong  and  great! 
Humanity  with  all  its  fears, 
With  all  the  hopes  of  future  years, 
Is  hanging  breathless  on  thy  fate! 


Slmcrican  Volunteer  ^oltiitr 

Our  hearts,  our  hopes,  are  all  with  thee, 
Our  hearts,  our  hopes,  our  prayers,  our  tears, 
Our  hopes  triumphant  o'er  our  fears, 
Are  all  with  thee,  are  all  with  thee." 

"Dulce  c't  a'l'cormn  est  pro  pairia  niori." 

These  and  hundreds  of  similar  passages  conned 
in  boyhood  were  in  all  minds,  and  burned  our 
hearts  with  an  intensity  of  meaning  never  felt 
before.  Music  inspired  every  heart  to  patriotic 
service  and  sacrifice;  woman  looked  and  spoke 
the  same  high  appeal.  Never  before  had  been 
felt  such  a  fervor  of  apprehension  and  high 
patriotic  resolve.  American  manhood  was  ex- 
horted as  never  before.  The  American  Re- 
public must  not  perish.  No  theories  of  States 
Rights  must  be  allowed  to  destroy  it.  The 
Union  must  and  shall  be  preserved!  It  was 
evident  to  all  that  unless  the  American  youth 
of  the  North  rose  to  the  occasion  all  the  bright 
hopes  of  ideal  republicanism  were  lost,  and 
forever.  It  was  almost  impossible  for  any 
generous  and  manly  spirit  among  the  young  to 
resist  the  appeal;  no  matter  what  the  repug- 
nance to  war  and  battle,  to  the  rough  manners 
and  severe  hardships  of  a  soldier's  life,  no 
matter  how  strong  the  mere  selfish  temptation 
to  the  tasks  and  ambitions  of  civil  life.  The 
country's  peril  and  her  cry  to  her  sons  to  save 
her  drowned  all  other  voices.  Every  youth 
and  young  man  felt  the  struggle  between  in- 
clination and  duty  in  his  own  breast.  Each 
must  settle  the  mighty  question  alone  and  for 
99 


lllmiim^cnicc^  of  Cljicago 

himself.  Some  who  had  wives,  mothers,  or 
sisters  dependent  upon  them,  or  who  were 
fettered  by  other  circumstances,  must  remain 
at  home,  and  this  only  increased  the  urgency 
upon  others  who  were  not  so  fettered.  For 
myself,  the  struggle  was  severe  and  long;  but 
the  conclusion  was  irresistible;  I  did  not  want 
to  go;  but  I  must. 

I  had  only  recently  come  to  Chicago  from 
my  home  at  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  and  had 
entered  enthusiastically  upon  what  I  felt  would 
be  a  congenial  business  for  life.  I  had  become 
a  junior  clerk  in  the  wholesale  and  retail  book- 
store of  S.  C.  Griggs  &  Co.  Although  always 
fond  of  outdoor  life  and  sports,  my  spare  hours 
had  been  largely  devoted  to  books  and  reading; 
and  a  life  devoted  to  books,  even  commercially, 
had  the  strongest  attraction  for  me.  I  could 
look  only  with  abhorrence  upon  war  and  or- 
ganized brute  force,  for  I  had  been  deeply 
moved  by  the  common  sense  and  eloquence  of 
Charles  Sumner's  splendid  peace  orations.  I 
had  never  taken  any  interest  in  volunteer  or 
militia  soldiering,  and,  indeed,  had  rather 
looked  with  contempt  upon  the  showy  uniforms 
and  pompous  paradings  of  those  who  seemed 
to  play  at  soldiering  in  times  of  peace.  But 
the  decision  was  made;  I  must  go  into  this 
war,  and  do  what  little  one  individual  could  to 
save  the  imperiled  country. 

I  was  only  one  of  many,  for  I  found  most  of 
my  companions  and  acquaintances  in  Chicago 

100 


American  Volunteer  J>olDicr 

had  been  going  through  the  same  struggles  as 
myself;  and  a  large  number  of  them  had  reached 
the  same  conclusion.  How  we  should  go  was 
now  the  question.  Many  of  us  had  had  college 
educations,  had  been  somewhat  delicately 
reared,  and  had  been  accustomed  to  the  lives 
and  manners  of  refined  family  circles.  We 
naturally  shrunk  from  the  idea  of  entering  the 
rank  and  file  and  becoming  private  soldiers; 
and  we  would  generally  have  liked  to  secure 
commissions  as  lieutenants  or  subaltern  officers. 
Without  political  influence,  however,  this  was 
not  easy,  and,  despairing  of  such  opportunities, 
we  finally  determined  to  form  a  company  among 
ourselves,  in  which  all  the  men  might  be  of 
somewhat  the  same  condition  in  life,  and  more 
or  less  congenial,  that  so  we  might  tone  down 
some  of  the  asperities  of  the  private  soldier's 
life.  It  was  at  last  quietly  and  quickly  made 
known  that  on  a  certain  Saturday  evening  all 
those  who  were  notified,  and  who  desired  to 
join  such  a  compapy,  would  assemble  together 
at  eight  o'clock  in  a  designated  office  on  Dear- 
born Street,  where  muster-rolls  would  be  ready 
for  signature.  At  the  appointed  hour  I  re- 
paired to  the  rendezvous,  and  found  there 
already  assembled  a  large  number  of  young 
men,  mainly  personal  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances. It  was  a  curious  assemblage  and 
although  the  naturally  high  spirits  and  jollity 
of  youth  would  occasionally  assert  themselves, 
a    very   decided    feeling    of    seriousness    and 

lOI 


Ittmiiiu^caiccj^  of  Cljicago 

solemnity  pervaded  all.  The  muster-roll  was 
soon  numerously  signed,  and  a  company  of 
about  one  hundred  picked  men  (for  so  we  con- 
sidered ourselves)  was  enlisted.  An  organiza- 
tion was  at  once  effected,  and  a  member,  who 
had  previously  served  as  captain  of  a  militia 
company  in  New  England,  Mr.  L.  P.  Bradley, 
was  elected  Captain,  and  a  prominent  young 
lawyer  of  Chicago,  Mr.  Norman  Williams,  who 
had  had  some  tactical  training  in  an  eastern 
militia  companv,  was  made  First  Lieutenant. 
It  happened  that  on  that  very  evening  an 
immense  "war  meeting"  was  being  held  in  the 
old  ''Wigwam"— in  which  Abraham  Lincoln 
had  been  nominated  for  president.  The  rapid 
mustering  of  this  company  had  been  heard  of 
at  the  meeting,  and  a  request  was  sent  down 
that  the  company  should  present  itself.  We 
were  accordingly  marshaled  into  column,  and, 
with  drum  and  fife,  marched  through  the  quiet 
and  dark  streets  to  the  Wigwam,  where  after 
a  moment  of  waiting  we  were  ushered  upon 
the  platform  on  which  Hon.  Thomas  Drum- 
mond,  the  highly  revered  United  States  District 
Judge,  was  presiding,  and  Hon.  George  C. 
Bates,  a  noted  lawyer  of  that  day,  was  making 
an  impassioned  and  eloquent  war  speech.  The 
announcement  was  made  to  an  already  excited 
and  enthusiastic  audience  that  this  was  a  new 
company  of  somewhat  well-known  Chicago 
young  men  just  enlisted  for  the  war.  The 
audience  was  a  mixed  one  of  ladies  and  gentle- 


American  t^oluntcer  «f>oltJicr 

men,  and  as  many  of  them  recognized  with 
surprise  many  of  those  in  ranks,  the  shouts 
and  cheering  which,  in  unison  with  the  strains 
of  the  band,  greeted  the  company  can  be 
imagined,  not  described,  for  the  audience  was 
immense,  and  was  wrought  up  to  the  most  in- 
tense patriotic  feeling.  This  company  was 
formed  at  the  time  when  President  Lincohi 
had  called  for  the  first  levy  of  seventy-five 
thousand  men,  and  this  gallant  company  was 
at  once  tendered  by  telegraph  to  the  Governor 
as  a  contribution  to  Illinois'  quota.  Most  of 
the  young  men  in  it  spent  the  next  day  or  two 
in  making  emotional  farewell  visits  to  their 
friends,  especially  their  young  lady  friends,  as 
they  expected  to  leave  for  the  field  immediately. 
It  became  known,  however,  a  day  or  two 
later,  that  the  state's  quota  was  already  full, 
and  that  the  services  of  this  company  must  be 
declined.  The  feelings  with  which  this  an- 
nouncement was  received  by  the  men  were 
probably  very  varied.  Many  were  loud  in 
their  expressions  of  disappointment,  but  for 
myself,  I  confess  I  was  conscious  of  release 
from  an  intense  strain,  and  a  feeling  of  joy 
that  my  services  were  not  needed  in  the  field, 
and  that  now  I  was  at  liberty,  without  self- 
condemnation,  to  return  to  my  chosen  civil 
pursuits.  It  is  a  proof,  however,  of  their 
earnestness  of  purpose  that  over  eighty  of  the 
privates  in  the  company  afterwards  bore  com- 
missions in  the  volunteer  army. 
103 


Ji!aiitni^cence^  of  €l)ica0o 

Though  denied  admission  to  the  army  at 
that  time,  however,  it  was  by  no  means  certain 
that  many  more  troops  would  not  speedily  be 
equired,  and  it  was  unanimously  decided  to 
keep  up  the  company  organization,  and  to  go 
on  drilling  assiduously,  mainly  in  the  evening, 
in  order  to  be  ready  for  service  when  a  further 
urgent  call  should  come.  I  attended  all  drills, 
and  studied  the  school  of  the  soldier  and  the 
ordinary  company  tactics  industriously  in  all 
my  spare  moments,  determined,  if  possible,  to 
fit  myself  for  future  probable  emergencies. 
Under  Captain  Bradley  the  company  became 
before  long  a  very  creditably  drilled  military 
organization,  and  was  known  as  Company  D, 
6oth  Regiment  Illinois  Militia.  This  removed 
all  probability  that  it  would  be  called  into  the 
national  service  as  an  organization.  We  still, 
however,  felt  ourselves'  more  than  half  way 
soldiers,  and  imdoubtedly  rejoiced  in  the  con- 
sciousness that  we  had  shown  our  willingness 
to  serve  our  country  in  the  field.  The  company 
was  in  an  efficient  state  of  drill  and  discipline 
when  the  Hon.  Stephen  A.  Douglas  died.  The 
body  of  Mr.  Douglas  lay  in  state  in  Chicago, 
in  Bryan  Hall,  opposite  the  court  house,  on 
Clark  Street,  and  Company  D  was  detailed  as 
a  guard  of  honor  over  the  remains.  The  hall 
was  kept  open  day  and  night  to  allow  the  in- 
numerable crowds  of  citizens  who  desired  to 
look  upon  his  remains  to  do  so.  It  happened, 
that  as  a  private  soldier,  I  was  a  member  of  the 
T04 


American  Volunteer  J^oltiier 

relief  which  stood  over  the  coffin  after  mid- 
night, and  I  shall  never  forget  the  solemnity 
of  the  scene  in  the  dimly  lighted  hall  at 
that  time.  The  next  day  the  guard  of  honor 
marched  as  an  escort  to  the  grave  on  the  lake 
shore  where  his  monument  now^  stands,  and 
my  unaccustomed  muscles  received  a  very  vivid 
impression  of  what  a  private  soldier  endures  in 
a  long  march  on  a  hot  day,  under  the  weight 
of  heavy  musket  and  accoutrements. 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  the  country 
was  felt  to  be  again  in  sore  straits,  and  more 
men  were  called  for.  Very  quickly  the  officers 
and  men  of  this  home  company  began  to  enlist 
in  other  regiments  which  were  forming  for 
active  service  in  the  field.  Captain  Bradley 
and  Sergeant  C.  W.  Davis  were  among  the 
first  to  leave  for  the  front,  having  been  com- 
missioned, respectively,  as  Lieutenant-Colonel 
and  Adjutant  of  the  51st  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  the  former  becoming  ultimately  Brig- 
adier-General of  Volunteers  and  the  latter 
Lieutenant-Colonel  commanding  his  regiment. 
Thus  one  after  another  the  men  of  this  original 
company  drifted  away  into  active  service  in 
the  field,  having  been  generally  found  fitted  to 
be  commissioned  as  officers  in  regiments  which 
were  forming  for  the  front.  For  myself,  in 
August,  1862,  I  joined  with  two  other  gentle- 
men, who  were  already  engaged  in  an  attempt 
to  raise  a  company  which  was  intended  to  be 
one  of  the  companies  to  compose  two  new 
105 


i^nntnisfccncc^  of  Cljicago 

regiments  organizing  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Board  of  Trade  of  Chicago. 

The  patriotic  citizens  generally,  and  espe- 
cially those  composing  the  Board,  although 
usually  too  old  to  go  themselves,  were  anxious 
to  do  all  in  their  power  to  contribute,  pecu- 
niarily, and  in  otlier  ways,  toward  filling  up  the 
ranks  of  the  armies  in  the  field.  The  various 
companies  forming  for  the  regiments  were 
each  of  them  raised  under  the  patronage,  as  it 
were,  of  some  patriotic  citizen,  and  for  the  time 
being  were  called  by  the  citizen's  name.  The 
company  which  I  joined  was  being  liberally 
aided  by  Mr.  U.  H.  Crosby,  a  personal  friend, 
who,  though  but  a  young  man,  had  recently 
erected  a  noble  building  which  was  then  Chi- 
cago's pride,  the  beautiful  and  commodious 
Crosby's  Opera  House.  After  him  the  com- 
pany was  at  first  known  as  "The  Crosby 
Guards."  We  had  a  tent  erected  on  the  meager 
plat  of  grass  then  surrounding  the  Court  House 
Square.  Above  the  tent  floated  the  beloved 
national  flag,  and  witliin  it  a  small  wooden 
table,  with  a  fresh  muster-roll  spread  upon  it, 
flanked  with  two  or  three  chairs,  composed  the 
furnishings. 

Here  the  three  persons  who  were  trying  to 
raise  the  company  spent  the  long  hours  of  the 
day,  sitting  or  standing  at  the  door,  trying, 
like  spiders,  to  lure  into  their  web  any  promis- 
ing looking  youth  or  man  who  came  within 
sight.  Long  and  earnest  were  the  unsophisti- 
io6 


American  Volunteer  ^oltiter 

cated  appeals  to  patriotism,  but  we  suffered 
greatly  from  our  inability  to  show  any  military 
competence  or  experience  on  the  part  of  those 
who  were  organizing  the  company,  and  who 
hoped  to  be  its  officers.  The  Chicago  Court 
House  Square  then  presented  a  busy  and  a 
stirring  scene,  for  it  was  occupied  by  perhaps 
half  a  dozen  other  similar  tents,  where  other 
men  were  engaged  in  raising  rival  companies, 
and  keen  was  the  competition  when  eligible 
recruits  appeared  in  view.  Each  group  was 
anxious  to  swell  its  own  muster-roll.  It  was 
curious  as  we  afterwards  looked  back  to  this 
time  to  remember  how  anxious  we  all  were  to 
secure  the  large,  stalwart,  strong-looking  men. 
Physical  prowess  cut  much  figure  in  our  con- 
ception of  the  efficient  soldier — and  we  were 
possessed  with  the  idea  that  the  large  and 
vigorous  looking  men  were  the  ones  who  would 
best  stand  the  hardships  of  service  and  exposure 
in  the  field.  These  ideas  were  very  decidedly 
changed  by  after  experience.  It  was  soon 
found  in  actual  service  that  the  large  and 
heavy  men  were  apt  to  be  the  first  to  yield  to 
exhaustion  and  disease  and  to  go  to  the  hospi- 
tals, while  the  small  and  slight  men  went 
safely  through  the  severest  duties  and  expo- 
sures, and  reported  constantly  for  active  duty. 
As  a  rule,  too,  men  reared  in  the  country  and 
accustomed  to  hard  work  and  active  life  upon 
the  farm  gave  out  more  quickly  than  the 
lighter  and  more  wiry  men  from  the  city.  I 
107 


i5miinisceticc.0  of  Cljicngo 

remember  distinctly  wlien  one  clay  a  tall,  dark- 
complexioned  and  fine-looking  man  from  south- 
ern Illinois  came  into  the  tent,  and  how- 
anxious  and  excited  we  were  until  he  had 
finally  signed  the  muster-roll.  There  was 
more  joy  over  him  than  over  many  smaller  and 
less  heroic-looking  men,  for  was  he  not  also 
dashing  and  daring  in  his  manner,  and  loud- 
mouthed withal  in  his  declarations  of  what  he 
would  do  if  he  only  once  got  a  chance  at 
"them  Rebs"?  As  he  is  still  living,  I  do  not 
give  his  name.  He  deserted  in  almost  our 
first  battle,  and  proved  to  be  a  typical  example 
of  a  numerous  class  of  large-bodied,  loud- 
mouthed, blustering  braggarts,  whose  great 
professions  of  valor  and  prowess  came  to  an 
ignominious  end  on  the  battle-field.  He  was 
afterwards  very  indignant  with  me  when  I 
refused  to  sign  his  application  for  a  pension, 
reminding  me  that  he  deserved  a  pension  as 
much  as  many  of  those  who  were  already  on 
the  pension  rolls.  I  do  not  doubt  he  has 
finally  succeeded  in  getting  a  compliant  con- 
gress to  place  him  there. 

We  spent  many  days  at  this  monotonous 
work,  and  long  and  weary  were  the  hours, 
especially  when  recruits  were  few;  but  we 
were  constantly  encouraged  by  the  visits  of 
prominent  patriotic  citizens  who  came  in  to 
cheer  and  aid  us  in  our  work,  for  the  whole 
community  was  burning  with  zeal,  and  desired 
to  hurry  troops  into  the  field. 
1 08 


Slmcricau  Bolunteer  ^oltiiec 

Finally  our  efforts  were  rewarded  by  seeing 
a  little  over  eighty  names  upon  our  muster- 
roll,  enough  to  form  an  undersized  company, 
though  considerably  short  of  the  maximum 
number  (loi)  permitted  to  a  company.  Men 
were  urgently  needed  in  the  field,  and  we  were 
therefore  directed  to  appear  before  Captain 
Christopher,  the  United  States  mustering  offi- 
cer, to  be  mustered  into  the  national  service 
for  three  years,  or  during  the  war.  We  accord- 
ingly marched  around  to  the  mustering  office 
on  Dearborn  Street,  and  each  individual  who 
answered  to  his  name  was  mustered  into  the 
United  States  service  for  three  years  as  a 
private  soldier.  It  was  a  solemn  moment  for 
many  of  us;  but  we  had  already  counted  the 
cost.  All  had  appeared  who  had  signed  the 
roll  except  the  gentleman  who  had  first  begun 
to  raise  the  company,  and  who  expected  to  be 
made  its  captain.  He  was  more  advanced  in 
years  than  most  of  us,  was  not  of  American 
birth,  was  comfortably  settled  in  the  banking 
business,  and  it  was  not  surprising  that  when 
he  found  that  the  choice  of  officers  must  be 
left  to  the  men,  all  strangers  to  him,  after 
muster  he  did  not  care  to  risk  the  possibility 
of  having  to  carry  a  musket  for  three  years  as 
private  soldier.  The  patriotism  of  many  a 
man,  though  pure  and  ardent,  might  well  quail 
at  this.  He  had  perhaps  even  less  knowledge 
of  tactics,  or  any  of  the  duties  of  the  soldier, 
than  either  of  his  campanions,  Mr.  Charles  T. 
109 


linTiini^cmcc^  of  Cl)icago 

Boal  or  myself,  who  had  hoped  to  be  elected, 
respectively,  to  the  offices  of  first  and  second 
lieutenant.  Having  been  mustered,  we  were 
directed  to  report  at  once  to  Camp  Douglas, 
about  five  miles  south  of  the  city,  which  was 
then  the  rendezvous  and  training  camp  for 
Chicago  troops.  Mr.  Boal  and  I,  with  our 
slight  knowledge  of  company  drill,  managed  to 
get  the  men  into  properly  ordered  ranks,  and 
the  company  began  its  first  military  march. 
Arrived  at  the  camp,  a  piece  of  ground  was 
assigned  by  the  post  commander.  Colonel 
Tucker,  upon  which  we  were  to  encamp.  "We 
were  no  longer  free  men,  and  were  ordered 
to  sleep  in  camp  that  night;  but  first  we  were 
to  be  provided  with  tents,  tent-poles,  tent- 
pins,  tin  cups,  tin  plates,  kettles,  knives  and 
forks,  and  the  innumerable  paraphernalia  which 
is  necessary  to  complete  the  equipment  of  a 
company  in  the  field.  In  sonie  haphazard 
way,  I  do  not  remember  how,  we  learned  that 
the  post  quartermaster,  whose  quarters  were 
perhajis  a  half  a  mile  distant,  would  furnish 
these  requisites  for  the  company  if  some  seem- 
ingly responsible  person  would  receipt  for 
them.  No  one  else  volunteering  for  this  duty, 
I  concluded  to  visit  the  quartermaster  myself  in 
behalf  of  the  band  of  innocents  whom  I  had 
aided  to  get  into  what  at  the  time  seemed  to 
be  rather  a  forsaken  and  helpless  situation. 
In  a  very  few  minutes  I  was  conferring  with 
the  quartermaster  and  receipting  for  innumer- 

I  TO 


American  l^olutitccr  ^oltiier 

able  articles  which  I  knew  as  little  about  as  an 
infant.  The  counting  and  becoming  responsi- 
ble for  camp  kettles,  tin  plates,  tin  cups,  pewter 
spoons,  knives  and  forks,  etc.,  was  all  very 
prosaic,  and  seemed  almost  humiliating  to  an 
ambitious  young  soldier;  but  I  had  enlisted  for 
the  war,  and  was  nerved  up  for  anything  and 
everything  which  that  might  imply;  the  practi- 
cal, common-place  side  of  camp  life  must 
certainly  be  looked  after. 

I  had  been  engaged  in  this  way  but  a  short 
time  when  I  was  suddenly  confronted  by  two 
men  of  the  company,  who  came  as  a  committee 
to  tell  me  that  "the  boys  "had  determined  that 
they  must  have  some  officers;  that  they  had 
gone  into  an  election;  that  I  had  been  nom- 
inated for  captain,  and  "the  boys"  wanted  to 
hear  from  me.  I  could  not  have  been  more 
surprised,  for  never  till  that  moment  had  the 
idea  of  becoming  captain  of  the  company 
entered  my  head.  It  had  been  supposed  all 
along  that  the  man  of  whom  I  have  just  spoken, 
who  had  been  most  active  in  raising  the  com- 
pany, would  be  the  captain  of  it.  He  had 
suddenly  failed  to  be  mustered,  and  the  situa- 
tion was  changed;  some  other  member  of  the 
company  must  become  captain.  As  I  walked 
back  with  the  "committee"  I  learned  that  the 
men  had  been  prompted  to  go  into  an  election 
of  officers  by  two  officers  (captains  I  think), 
who  had  for  some  time  been  serving  in  the  field 
with  one  of  the  older  Illinois  regiments.  They 
III 


JUcminififcencc^  of  Chicago 

were  at  home  on  leave  of  absence,  and  hap- 
pened that  afternoon  to  be  visitors  at  Camp 
Douglas.  They  assured  the  men  that  the 
election  of  officers  was  an  immediate  requisite; 
that  they  knew  all  about  the  formula  necessary 
for  such  an  election.  They  told  the  men  that 
they  would  superintend  the  election,  keep  the 
necessary  records,  and  forward  these  records, 
duly  certified,  to  the  governor  of  the  state 
through  the  Adjutant-General;  and  that  upon 
this  evidence  commissions  would  at  once  be 
issued  by  the  governor  to  the  men  elected  as 
officers.  I  saw  nothing  wrong  with  this  plan, 
for  I  knew  nothing  about  it,  and  I  supposed 
that  these  superior  beings,  these  (to  me) 
veteran  officers,  knew  all  about  it. 

I  saw  at  once  that  a  crisis  of  much  import- 
ance to  me  and  to  the  company  had  arisen. 
As  I  thought  it  over  one  thing  was  at  once 
clear  to  my  mind:  I  was  not  fit  to  be  captain; 
but  the  second  thought  immediately  followed 
it,  granted  that  I  am  not  fit,  who  in  the  com- 
pany is?  Some  of  the  men  were  considerably 
older  than  I.  There  were  men  with  families, 
men  who  had  been  independent  farmers,  well- 
to-do  country  storekeepers  and  skilled  me- 
chanics, but  they  knew  little  or  nothing  about 
drill  or  tactics  or  military  affairs,  not  even  as 
much  as  I  did.  There  was,  it  is  true,  in  the 
company  one  large,  fine-looking,  stalwart  man, 
seemingly  competent  and  very  intelligent,  who 
had  served  two  terms  of  enlistment  as  a  private 


American  l^oluutccr  ^oltiier 

soldier  in  the  regular  army;  but  when  spoken 
to  about  being  elected  an  officer  he  had  posi- 
tively declined  —  for  what  reason  we  could  not 
understand,  though  subsequent  events  made  it 
very  apparent.  Looking  at  the  question  as 
candidly  and  as  nearly  without  bias  as  I  could, 
I  concluded  that  if  the  men  were  in  earnest  in 
their  desire  to  make  me  captain,  I  had  perhaps 
best  be  as  willing  to  trust  myself  to  fill  the 
position  as  any  one  else  in  the  company,  I 
need  not  of  course  pretend  that  there  were  no 
whisperings  of  ambition.  I  felt  at  once  that 
it  would  be  a  high  and  very  gratifying  honor  if 
the  men  should  voluntarily  select  me  to  be 
captain  of  the  company,  provided  of  course  I 
could  afterward  by  my  conduct  justify  my 
election  to  what  at  the  time  seemed  to  me 
a  very  high  and  exalted  position. 

Reaching  the  company  ground  I  at  once 
sought  out  Mr.  Boal,  who  I  thought,  if  he 
desired  it,  had  a  better  right  to  be  captain  than 
I,  for  he  had  joined  the  company  earlier  than 
I,  and  had  done  more  toward  enlisting  it.  I 
told  him  that  if  he  wished  to  be  captain  I 
would  not  be  a  candidate.  He,  however,  pro- 
tested that  while  he  did  hope  to  be  made  first 
lieutenant,  he  would  not  consent  to  become 
captain. 

The  situation  now  being  clear,  I  entered  the 
circle  about  which  the  men  were  grouped  and 
asked  what  they  wanted  with  me.  They  said 
I   had  been  nominated  for  captain,  and  they 

113 


0nTiini.£fcencc.fif  of  Cljicago 

wanted  to  hear  from  me.  I  recognized  the 
crisis.  It  was  to  be  decided  at  once  whether 
for  the  next  three  years  I  should  bear  a  com- 
mission as  captain  or  carry  a  musket  as  a  pri- 
vate soldier.  I  took  off  my  cap,  and  collected 
my  thoughts  as  well  as  I  could,  being  utterly 
unaccustomed  to  speaking  to  a  crowd  of  men. 
I  made  no  attempt  at  oratory,  but  I  told  them 
in  a  very  few  and  simple,  but  earnest  words 
that  I  had  had  practically  no  military  training 
or  experience,  and  was  therefore  not  fit  to 
become  captain  of  a  company  in  active  field 
service;  but  that  we  were  perhaps  all  alike  in 
that  respect,  all  uninformed  and  inexperienced. 
We  only  knew  that  we  had  entered  upon  a 
service  which  would  prove  no  child's  play,  and 
was  likely  to  cost  one  of  us  very  dearly;  that 
we  were  moved  by  a  common  desire  to  serve 
our  country  against  her  foes,  and  that  we  must 
all  do  our  best  and  help  one  another  toward 
that  end.  That  while,  as  I  then  was,  I  knew 
I  was  not  fit  for  captain  of  the  company,  yet 
if  they  chose  to  make  me  captain  I  should  do 
the  very  best  1  could  to  cjualify  myself;  I 
should  work  hard  and  I  should  expect  them  to 
work  hard;  I  should  insist  u[)on  constant  and 
arduous  drills;  and,  knowing  that  disci])line 
was  the  most  important  tiling,  I  should  enforce 
as  rigid  discipline  as  I  could.  I  said  we  per- 
haps could  not  gain  much  glory  as  soldiers, 
but  we  could  at  least  do  our  duty  and  serve 
our  country.  I  was  frankly  in  earnest,  and 
114 


American  Volunteer  ^olUiet 

spoke  with  much  feehng.  The  men  were 
pleased,  and  I  was  unanimously  elected.  Mr. 
Boal  was  also  unanimously  elected  first  lieu- 
tenant and  Mr.  D.  B.  Rice  second  lieutenant. 
Mr.  Rice  was  well  known  to  many  of  the  men, 
and  had  already  served  a  few  weeks  in  the  field 
as  a  member  of  a  cavalry  company. 

We  now  believed  that  the  first  and  import- 
ant steps  toward  the  organization  of  the  com- 
pany were  taken,  and  it  devolved  upon  me  to 
take  measures  to  finally  reduce  this  motley 
mass  of  men  to  a  disciplined  company  of 
soldiers.  Other  companies  were  encamped 
around  about  us  which  were  in  the  same 
chaotic  condition  as  our  own,  and  their  officers 
had  their  duties  still  to  learn,  just  as  I  had. 
I  believed  that  what  they  could  do  I  could  do, 
and  I  set  about  with  enthusiasm  to  do  it.  To 
house  the  company  we  had  five  "Sibley"  tents 
(large  bell-shaped  tents,  capable  of  holding 
fifteen  to  twenty  men  each),  and  two  small 
wall  tents.  The  five  Sibley  tents  were  pitched 
in  line  facing  the  company  street,  the  two  wall 
tents,  or  officer  tents,  upon  the  right  of  the 
line.  The  first  of  these  I  occupied;  the  second 
was  occupied  by  the  two  lieutenants.  Squad 
drill  was  immediately  instituted  and  practiced 
assiduously,  in  spite  of  some  discontent  which 
began  to  appear  among  the  men  at  the  con- 
stant work.  The  "setting  up"  of  the  men, 
"the  position  of  the  soldier,"  "the  align- 
ment," "  the  facings,"  the  "manual  of  arms,  " 
115 


J^eminii^cmce^  of  €f)icago 

I  found  all  full  of  interest  when  studied  care- 
fully. The  drilling  of  the  company  as  a  whole 
I  soon  became  very  much  interested  in.  I 
studied  the  tactics  incessantly  and  carefully, 
and  the  promptness  and  accuracy  of  movement 
which  I  was  soon  able  to  secure  greatly  interest- 
ed me.  There  was  a  mathematical  precision 
about  the  movements  which  was  unexpectedly 
interesting,  and  then,  too,  I  soon  began  to  see 
that  by  conscientious  effort  on  my  own  part  I 
was  securing"  the  confidence  and  prompt  obedi- 
ence of  my  men.  They  began  to  feel  that  they 
really  were  becoming  what  they  wanted  to  be, 
soldiers.  Meanwhile,  kind  friends  in  Chicago, 
whom  I  had  become  acquainted  with  during  my 
short  residence  in  the  city,  learning  that  I  had 
become  captain  of  a  company,  presented  me 
with  a  complete  set  of  captain's  uniform,  includ- 
ing epaulets,  sword,  and  (though  contrary  to 
regulations  for  an  infantry  captain)  a  pair  of 
pistols.  I  should  like  to  dwell  upon  this  pres- 
entation, which  was  very  interesting  and  grati- 
fying to  me,  and  upon  the  eloquent  speech  made 
by  Mr.  Henry  M.  Shcpard,  a  young  attorney, 
well  known  since  in  Chicago  as  an  ornament 
to  the  legal  bench;  but  this  is  not  necessary  to 
my  narrative. 

The  brilliant  new  uniform  was  quickly 
donned,  and  I  began  to  feel  myself  already 
every  inch  a  captain,  as  I  could  see  it  had  a 
marked  effect  upon  my  raw  recruits.  Very 
soon  they  too  had  their  military  clothing  dealt  out 
ii6 


3tmerican  Boluntcct  J>oltiicr 

to  them  by  Uncle  Sam's  quartermaster,  and  it 
was  evident  that  their  own  and  their  officers* 
uniforms  and  bright  buttons  had  much  to  do 
with  promoting  a  soldierly  spirit,  and  making 
them  feel  that  they  had  ceased  to  be  civilians, 
and  had  entered  in  earnest  upon  serious  duties 
as  soldiers  enlisted  for  service  in  the  field. 

By  this  time  the  company  has  been  assigned 
to  its  final  position  as  Company  H  of  the  88th 
Regiment  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry — pop- 
ularly called  the  2nd  Chicago  Board  of  Trade 
Regiment.  It  was  a  regiment  in  the  raising 
of  which  the  citizens  of  Chicago,  and  especially 
the  members  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  took  a 
great  interest,  and  there  was  much  desire  to 
get  just  the  right  man  for  colonel.  The  line 
officers  of  the  regiment  were  mainly  personal 
friends  of  Mr.  Norman  Williams,  Jr.,  a  prom- 
inent young  lawyer  of  the  city,  who,  as  has  been 
said  before,  had  had  some  experience  in  a  New 
England  militia  regiment,  and  they  almost 
unanimously  desired  Mr.  Williams  for  colonel. 
However,  Governor  Yates,  then  governor  of 
Illinois,  had  already  written  to  Major  Francis 
T.  Sherman,  then  major  of  an  Illinois  cavalry 
regiment  in  the  field,  that  if  he  would  resign 
and  come  home,  he,  the  governor,  would 
appoint  him  colonel  of  one  of  the  two  Board  of 
Trade  Regiments  then  being  formed.  Major 
Sherman  had  resigned,  and  the  governor  had 
at  once  appointed  him  colonel  of  our  regiment, 
the  Second  Board  of  Trade.  The  line  officers 
117 


JHcinim^ccnccjBf  of  Cijirago 

remonstrated;  and  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade 
appointed  a  committee  of  their  most  prominent 
and  influential  members  to  visit  Springfield, 
and  endeavor  to  get  the  governor  to  recall  the 
appointment.  The  governor  demurred,  saying 
that  as  Major  Sherman  had  resigned  at  his 
request  he  must  have  the  promised  appoint- 
ment. Both  the  citizens  and  the  officers  of 
the  regiment  were  much  dissappointed,  and  the 
latter  received  their  new  colonel  with  very 
little  cordiality;  indeed  they  were  inclined  to 
be  almost  insubordinate,  and  for  a  time  held 
very  little  intercourse  with  the  colonel  except 
officially.  However,  Colonel  Sherman  was 
evidently  a  man  of  iron  nerve  and  much  firm- 
ness of  purpose;  he  cared  little  for  the  prefer- 
ences of  the  line  officers,  and  showed  by  his 
air  and  manner  that  he  proposed  to  show  these 
young  men  that  he  could  command  them. 
The  remainder  of  the  field  and  staff  were 
appointed  and  the  organization  of  the  regiment 
completed.  Regimental  guards  were  estab- 
lished, and  the  men  were  confined  to  regi- 
mental limits.  None  could  leave  the  camp 
without  a  furlough  from  his  captain.  This 
led,  before  long,  to  at  least  one  incident  per- 
sonal to  me  which  was  at  the  time  decidedly 
more  interesting  than  agreeable.  There  was 
in  the  company,  as  I  have  said  before,  one 
man  who  was  something  of  a  mystery  to  us 
all.  He  was  named  Dorman,  and  had  served 
as  a  private  soldier  for  ten  years  in  the  regular 
ii8 


American  Volunteer  ^oltiier 

army  on  the  plains  and  in  the  west.  He  was 
a  large,  fine-looking  man,  strongly  built,  and 
seemed  not  only  a  man  of  considerable  char- 
acter, but  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence. 
He  knew  far  more  about  the  general  duties  of 
the  soldier  in  camp  than  any  of  us,  and  yet, 
notwithstanding,  he  had  steadily  declined  to 
allow  himself  to  be  thought  of  in  the  election 
of  officers,  and  had  even  refused  appointment 
as  a  non-commissioned  officer,  either  sergeant 
or  corporal.  One  morning  he,  Dorman,  came 
to  me  and  asked  me  for  a  furlough  to  go  to  the 
city  to  make  a  few  necessary  purchases.  I 
gave  him  the  furlough,  and  urged  him  to  be 
sure  to  be  back  not  later  than  the  time  speci- 
fied in  the  furlough,  eight  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing, as  I  more  than  half  suspected  that  he 
might  be  too  found  of  whiskey.  The  day 
passed  away,  and  eight  o'clock  came  but 
brought  no  Dorman.  Nine  o'clock,  ten  o'clock 
and  eleven  o'clock,  and  still  no  Dorman.  I 
retired  to  my  tent  and  lay  down  upon  my  cot. 
I  fell  sound  asleep,  and  knew  nothing  more 
until  between  one  and  two  o'clock  the  next 
morning,  when  I  was  awakened  by  someone 
rapping  on  my  tent  door.  I  shouted,  "Come 
in,"  and  Sergeant  Andrews  entered.  He  was 
evidently  in  a  state  of  some  excitement,  and  I 
could  hear  a  confused  noise  of  many  of  my 
men  and  many  voices  outside  the  tent.  Ser- 
geant Andrews  told  me  in  a  few  rapid  words 
and  with  evident  agitation  that  Dorman  had 
119 


JUcmhii^ceiicc^  of  Chicago 

returned  savagely  drunk;  that  he  had  gone  to 
the  tent  where  he  was  quartered  and  raised  a 
disturbance  among  the  men;  that  Sergeant 
Rice,  who  had  charge  of  that  tent,  had  at- 
tempted to  control  and  quiet  him,  when  he 
had  suddenly,  and  with  the  adroitness  learned 
in  his  previous  service  in  the  army,  wrenched 
a  bayonet  from  a  musket  standing  nearby  and 
with  uncontrollable  fury  had  stabbed  Sergeant 
Rice,  the  bayonet  passing  through  his  arm  and 
into  his  body;  that  he  had  then  cleared  the 
tent  of  all  the  men  in  it,  and  was  still  in  the 
tent  defying  any  one  to  come  near  him.  Nat- 
urally my  mind  worked  rapidly  during  this 
recital.  I  had  known  for  days  before  that  the 
men  were  wondering  what  sort  of  a  quiet 
young  fellow  they  had  elected  for  their  captain, 
and  how  he  would  act  in  emergencies.  I 
knew  my  measure  had  yet  to  be  taken,  and  I 
saw  at  once  that  the  hour  had  come.  Ser- 
geant Andrews'  visit  was  evidently  for  the 
purpose  of  seeing  what  the  little  captain 
would  do  about  it.  The  crisis  was  unpleasant, 
but  I  could  not  shirk  it.  I  sprang  out  of  my 
cot  and  drew  on  my  pantaloons  and  boots.  1 
remember  distinctly  drawing  my  suspenders 
over  my  shoulders  and  buttoning  them  over 
my  flannel  shirt  as  I  walked  out  with  the 
sergeant.  I  did  not  stop  for  my  coat.  The 
company  street  was  full  of  men,  not  only  of 
my  own  company  but  from  all  the  neighboring 
companies   round   about,   and   excitement    ran 

120 


American  t^oluntcer  J^oltiier 

high.  The  wounded  sergeant,  Rice,  was  lying 
under  a  neighboring  tree  with  two  surgeons 
bending  over  him  dressing  his  wounds.  The 
tent  where  Dorman  was,  was  some  distance  up 
the  company  street,  and  as  I  walked  toward  it 
the  crowd  of  men  fell  back  on  either  side 
making  a  lane  for  me.  When  I  got  within  ten 
feet  of  the  tent,  however,  the  ground  was 
clear,  the  men  naturally  giving  the  tent  and  its 
opening  a  wide  berth.  The  door  of  the  tent 
was  opposite  to  me,  and  a  single  candle  burning 
within  showed  the  stalwart  fellow,  Dorman, 
standing  with  his  left  hand  clutching  the  center 
pole  for  support,  while  he  drunkenly  swayed 
backward  and  forward,  brandishing  the  still 
bloody  bayonet,  cursing  and  swearing  viciously, 
and  defying  any  of  the  "d  —  d  militia"  to  come 
near  him.  It  occurred  to  me  at  once  that  it 
was  fortunate  for  me  that  I  had  to  deal  with  an 
old  soldier  of  the  army,  rather  than  with  one  of 
the  green  recruits,  as  the  former  had  long  been 
under  the  influence  of  discipline,  and  would 
have  a  respect  for  the  position  of  an  officer 
which  the  other  would  not  feel,  and  that  I 
should  be  safer  with  the  disciplined  soldier 
than  with  a  man  who  had  known  nothing  of 
discipline  and  nothing  of  an  officer's  authority. 
I  therefore  continued  to  walk  slowly  across 
the  open  space  toward  the  door  of  the  tent 
until  two  of  my  men  rushed  after  me  and 
caught  hold  of  me,  trying  to  stop  me,  exclaim- 
ing, "For  God's  sake.  Captain,  don't  go  near 

121 


JHeitiitti^ccttcc^  of  €{)tcago 

him.  He  is  crazy  drunk,  and  will  kill  any 
man  who  tries  to  touch  him."  I  put  their 
hands  off  of  me,  however,  telling  them  I  knew 
what  I  was  doing.  They  fell  back,  and  I 
slowly  walked  forward,  keeping  my  eye  steadily 
upon  the  man.  When  I  saw  that  his  eye 
caught  mine,  I  kept  mine  fixed  upon  him,  and 
said  quietly,  "Dorman,  do  you  know  who  I 
am?"  He  replied  with  profanity,  "Yes,  you're 
the  d  —  d  little  militia  captain.  If  you  come 
in  here  I'll  make  mincemeat  of  you."  I  replied, 
"That's  all  I  want.  If  you  know  who  I  am, 
stop  this  nonsense  and  be  quiet."  I  walked 
confidently  up  to  him.  As  I  approached  him 
he  drew  back  his  hand  with  the  bayonet  as  if 
he  would  make  a  savage  lunge  at  my  breast. 
I  steadily  approached  him,  however,  keeping 
my  eye  fixed  upon  his.  He  evidently  did  not 
expect  this,  and  quailed  for  a  moment,  draw- 
ing back.  Still  keeping  my  eye  fixed  upon 
his,  I  followed  him  up  and  took  hold  of  his 
left  arm.  As  I  did  so,  he  again  drew  back 
his  weapon  savagely,  exclaiming  with  profan- 
ity, "  I'll  kill  you."  Again  he  was  unprepared 
for  my  confident  manner  and  voice,  and  his 
resolution  failed  him;  he  did  not  strike.  With 
my  other  hand  I  drew  down  his  right  hand, 
which  held  the  bayonet.  He  allowed  me  to 
take  it  out  of  his  hand  without  further  resist- 
ance. I  then  took  him  by  the  arm  and  marched 
him  out  of  the  tent  and  through  the  crowd, 
which  readily  fell  back,  to  what  we  called  the 

122 


American  Boiuntecr  ^oitiier 

"  regimental  guard-house,"  which  was  nothing 
else  but  a  square  piece  of  ground,  staked  out 
to  represent  the  guard-house  which  we  had  not. 
I  handed  over  the  prisoner  to  the  regimental 
guard  and  turned  to  walk  back  to  my  tent.  I 
had  not  gone  more  than  ten  yards,  however, 
before  I  heard  a  commotion  and  struggle  be- 
hind me.  Turning  back,  I  found  two  guards 
and  Dorman  rolling  in  a  heap  on  the  ground. 
The  sergeant  of  the  guard  informed  me  that 
Dorman  had  a  canteen  of  whiskey  suspended 
from  his  neck  under  his  blouse  and  refused  to 
give  it  up.  I  went  up  to  him,  and  under  cover 
of  a  few  quiet  words  cut  the  cord  with  my  pen- 
knife and  drew  away  the  canteen.  Handing 
it  to  the  sergeant,  I  went  back  to  my  quarters, 
and  there  was  no  more  trouble.  I  knew  of 
course  that  it  was  not  my  duty  as  an  officer  to 
act  as  I  had  done,  but  I  felt  that,  all  things 
considered,  this  was  the  best  course.  I  felt 
sure  I  could  succeed  in  controlling  him  by 
force  of  will,  and  that  if  I  did  so  it  would  have 
a  good  moral  effect  upon  the  men.  Besides 
this,  our  regimental  guards  were  at  that  time 
so  imperfectly  organized  that  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  resort  to  any  other  course.  The 
incident  evidently  had  a  marked  effect  upon 
the  men,  and  rendered  the  enforcement  of 
discipline  afterward  more  easy. 

One   afternoon,    not   many  days   after  this 
incident,   I  was  in  my  tent  when  I  heard  a 
123 


Jtlmiintj5ceiice^  of  Cijicago 

knock,  and  saying,  "Come  in,"  one  of  the 
sergeants  entered.  "Have  you  heard  the  news, 
Captain?"  said  he.  "No,"  I  repUed,  "what 
is  it?"  "The  boys  say  that  news  has  come 
to  regimental  headquarters  that  the  elections 
in  this  company  were  not  valid,  and  that  the 
Adjutant-General  of  the  state  will  be  here  him- 
self to-morrow  to  hold  elections  for  captain 
and  lieutenants."  This  was  most  astounding 
news,  and  certainly  not  agreeable  to  those  who 
thought  themselves  firmly  established  as  officers 
for  three  years  to  come.  After  wearing  our 
officers'  uniforms,  and  being  greeted  by  our 
friends  and  acquaintances  as  officers,  it  would 
be  by  no  means  pleasant  to  go  back  into  the 
ranks  and  carry  muskets  as  private  soldiers  for 
three  years.  For  myself,  I  felt  very  doubtful 
whether  I  should  be  re-elected.  I  was  conscious 
that  I  was  not,  and  had  not  sought  to  be,  what 
would  be  called  "popular"  with  my  men.  I 
had  regarded  discipline  as  all  important,  and 
had  aimed  to  be  something  of  a  martinet.  I 
was  enforcing  a  stricter  discipline  than  was 
observed  in  many  of  the  companies  around  us. 
For  instance,  it  was  quite  the  custom  of  the 
men  generally  to  address  their  captains  famil- 
iarly as  "Cap,"  and  to  wear  their  own  hats 
when  they  came  into  their  officers'  tents.  Both 
these  things  I  absolutely  forbade,  thinking 
them  prejudicial  to  discipline,  and  was  there- 
fore thought  to  be  making  invidious  distinctions 
between  myself  and  my  men.  I  had,  however, 
124 


American  l^olunteer  ^oltiier 

more  trouble  with  the  men  of  other  companies 
than  with  my  own.  I  had  also  felt  it  necessary 
to  arrest  and  punish  some  of  my  men  for  what 
the  men  generally  thought  rather  trivial  offenses, 
and  many  signs  convinced  me  that  while  I  was 
perhaps  respected  by  the  men,  I  was  not 
popular. 

Soon  after  the  sergeant  left  the  tent  Lieu- 
tenant Boal  came  in  and  confirmed  the  report, 
saying  that  he  had  been  to  the  Colonel's 
quarters,  and  the  rumor  was  true.  He  asked 
me  what  I  should  do  in  the  matter.  Having 
had  a  little  time  to  think  it  over,  I  said  that  I 
would  do  nothing,  but  would  remain  captain 
of  the  company  until  the  Adjutant-General 
appeared;  I  should  not  say  a  word  to  the  men 
about  it;  they  had  had  some  experience  with 
me  now,  and  could  judge  whether  I  was  the 
kind  of  man  they  wanted  for  captain  or  no;  I 
should  not  try  to  influence  them,  but  should 
leave  the  matter  entirely  to  them. 

I  went  on  with  my  duties  as  usual,  but  I 
confess  I  spent  a  very  anxious  night.  In  the 
morning  an  order  came  for  the  company  to  be 
presented  before  the  Adjutant-General  for  an 
election.  I  formed  the  company,  marched  it 
to  the  parade  ground,  drew  it  up  in  line  before 
the  Adjutant-General,  and  then  stepped  back 
into  the  ranks  myself.  He  made  a  speech 
explaining  the  misunderstanding  which  had 
occurred;  telling  the  men  very  plainly  (rather 
insistently  and  unnecessarily  so,  it  seemed  to 
125 


Jitmiini^cenccj^  of  Cfjtcago 

me)  that  they  were  in  no  way  bound  by  their 
previous  action,  and  that  they  were  now  about 
to  make  a  serious  selection  of  men  who  were 
to  command  them  during  three  years  of  actual 
service,  probably  in  the  face  of  the  enemy; 
that  it  was  a  serious  business,  and  they  must 
so  regard  it,  remembering  that  they  had  an 
entire  right  to  elect  any  of  their  comrades 
whom  they  thought  best  fitted.  I  inferred 
that  he  had  made  a  hasty  estimate  of  me,  and 
had  concluded  from  my  rather  juvenile,  deli- 
cate, and  not  very  impressive  looks  that  the 
men  had  originally  made  a  mistake.  He  called 
his  clerk  beside  him  to  keep  a  record  of  the 
election,  and  called  for  nominations  for  cap- 
tain. My  heart  beat  fast.  To  my  surprise 
several  of  the  men  called  out  my  name.  It 
was  entered  by  the  clerk,  and  the  men  were 
promptly  and  impressively  reminded  that  they 
could  make  as  many  nominations  as  they 
desired.  There  was  a  pause,  but  in  spite  of 
further  promptings  from  the  Adjutant-General, 
no  other  nomination  was  made,  and  I  heard 
myself  re-elected  captain  without  a  dissenting 
voice.  I  think  there  is  no  doubt  that  the 
Dorman  incident,  and  that  alone,  secured  my 
re-election.  The  lieutenants,  who  had  so  far 
incurred  no  responsibility  and  had  given  no 
reason  for  offense,  were  then  both  of  them  re- 
elected, and  we  all  breathed  freely  again. 
This  re-election,  after  it  was  past,  gave  me 
much  gratification.  I  was  glad  to  know  that 
126 


^metican  Vohintttt  ^oltiier 

after  some  little  chance  to  test  me  the  men  did 
not  repent  of  their  choice,  and  that  I  now  had 
their  endorsement.  I  felt  proud  of  my  posi- 
tion, and  much  more  confident  of  being  able  to 
fill  it  creditably.  I  realized  that  the  position 
was  an  important  one — 'much  more  important 
than  I  had  ever  hoped  to  fill  in  military  life  — 
and  I  felt  that  to  fill  it  honorably  and  creditably 
for  three  years,  or  during  the  war,  was  all,  or 
more  than  all,  my  ambition  need  aspire  to.  I 
resolved  rather  to  seek  to  be  a  competent  and 
efficient  captain  than  to  seek  higher  promotion. 
The  later  weeks  of  August,  1862,  were  spent 
in  camp  at  Camp  Douglas,  Chicago,  and  the 
busy  days  were  all  too  short  for  our  arduous 
efforts  to  learn  the  routine  duties  and  drills  of 
the  soldier.  To  change  our  ideas  and  habits 
from  those  of  the  civilian  to  those  of  the 
soldier  was  no  easy  task.  To  change  home 
and  comfortable  rooms  for  life  in  a  tent  was 
perhaps  more  novel  than  agreeable;  but  we 
applied  ourselves  to  our  new  life  with  zest,  in 
order  to  be  prepared  for  efficient  service  later, 
when  we  should  be  brought  face  to  face  with 
the  enemy  in  the  field;  for  so  far  as  I  could 
see,  every  man  in  the  company  was  fully 
possessed  with  the  idea  that  there  was  no 
child's  play  before  us,  but  serious,  hard,  and 
tragic  work.  The  early  reveille,  the  roll  call, 
the  details  for  guard  duty,  the  fatigue  duties 
about  the  camp,  the  guard  mounts,  the  restric- 
tions to  the  limits  of  the  camp,  the  men's 
127 


i?lemimje?cmff^  of  Cljicago 

monotonous  meals  at  the  military  mess,  all 
were  novelties  which  soon  became  more  ardu- 
ous than  pleasing. 

But  the  great  occupation  and  the  great 
labor  was  drill — first  squad  drill,  then  com- 
pany drill,  and  finally  a  little  battalion  drill. 
I  soon  developed  a  strong  liking  for  conduct- 
ing drills,  and  drilling  my  company  became  to 
me  a  real  recreation.  The  mere  practice  in 
"setting  up"  the  men — that  is,  teaching  them 
the  attitude  and  carriage  of  the  soldier — ^was 
deeply  interesting,  and  I  soon  found  it  as 
necessary  to  apply  all  this  training  to  myself 
as  to  the  men.  To  drill  my  company  efficiently 
I  must  first  drill  myself,  and  this  became  a 
pleasure.  Indeed  I  found  myself  inclined  to 
become  exacting  in  my  demands  upon  myself 
as  well  as  upon  my  men.  To  my  surprise  I 
discovered  I  was  beginning  not  only  to  take  an 
interest  in  active  study  of  military  duties  but 
to  like  them.  Soldiering  was  not  at  all  lacking 
in  interest,  as  I  had  supposed.  All  the  other 
companies  of  the  new  regiment  were  engaged 
in  the  same  earnest  efforts  to  become  soldierly 
and  to  fit  themselves  for  the  field,  and  soon  a 
strong  esprit  du  corps  and  friendly  rivalry 
sprang  up  among  the  various  companies  of  the 
regiment,  which  were  generally  commanded  by 
young  men  of  character  and  education  from 
Chicago.  Each  captain  of  a  company  very 
soon  began  to  betray  characteristics  of  his  own 
in  managing  and  drilling  his  company,  and  the 
128 


American  Volunteer  ^oltitcr 

companies  naturally  began  to  show  the  effects 
of  these  varying  methods.  There  seemed  to 
prevail  generally  among  the  new  officers,  not 
only  of  our  own  regiment,  but  of  all  the  regiments 
encamped  round  about  us,  a  sort  of  traditional 
belief  that  rough  and  boisterous  language  and 
much  swearing  were  absolutely  necessary  in 
the  efficient  disciplining  and  drilling  of  soldiers. 
I  did  not  believe  this,  and  as  I  had  never  up 
to  this  time  permitted  myself  to  swear,  I 
determined  that  my  army  life  should  not  lead 
me  to  do  so.  Leaving  out  of  consideration 
all  thought  of  the  moral  or  religious  aspect  of 
the  habit,  it  seemed  to  me  altogether  disgust- 
ing, and  the  natural  resource  rather  of  the 
incompetent  bully  than  of  the  gentleman,  or 
even  of  the  man  of  good  common  sense.  The 
announcement  that  I  proposed  to  drill  and 
discipline  my  men  without  ever  swearing  at 
them  produced  much  levity  and  amusement 
among  certain  of  my  fellow  officers,  and  bets 
were  freely  offered  that  if  I  really  persisted  in 
this  attempt  I  would  soon  find  its  futility,  and 
that  "in  less  than  a  month  McClurg  would  be 
swearing  worse  than  any  man  in  the  regiment." 
If  these  bets  were  taken  they  were  not  won  by 
those  who  offered  them.  I  kept  my  temper 
under  control,  and  very  soon  the  men  began  to 
respond  handsomely  to  temperate  language  and 
decent  treatment,  and  I  had  ultimately  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing  my  company  (Com- 
pany H)  was  considered  one  of  the  two  best 
129 


Jl!miini^cettcc^  of  Cljtcago 

drilled  and  best  disciplined  companies  in  a  first- 
rate  regiment,  its  chief  rival  being  the  right 
company  (Company  A),  commanded  by  Captain 
George  W.  Smith,  and  managed,  I  think,  upon 
very  much  the  same  principles.  Very  early  in 
boyhood  I  had  been  impressed  with  the  strong 
common  sense  of  the  Latin  motto  Si/aviter  in 
modo,  fortiter  in  re.  "Gentle  in  manner,  firm 
in  purpose,"  and  it  was  my  aim  to  carry  this 
out  as  far  as  possible  in  my  military  life,  as 
well  as  in  my  civilian  life. 

There  was  at  this  time  much  demand  for 
new  regiments  in  the  field,  to  close  up  deple- 
tions caused  in  the  ranks  by  battle  and  disease, 
and  we  knew  that  our  life  at  Camp  Douglas 
would  be  very  brief,  as  we  must  soon  be 
ordered  to  the  front.  At  last  this  order  came, 
and  we  who  had  entered  Camp  Douglas  on 
August  15th  an  unorganized  mob  of  miscel- 
laneous civilians,  as  unsoldierly  as  Falstaff's 
band  of  tatterdemalions,  were  ordered  to  the 
field  as  soldiers  on  September  4th.  We  had 
had  three  whole  weeks  in  which  to  learn  to  be 
soldiers. 

The  morning  of  that  day  was  bright  and  fine, 
and,  headed  by  its  drum  corps,  the  regiment 
marched  from  camp  at  about  nine  o'clock,  with 
drums  beating  and  Hags  living,  for,  contrary 
to  regulations,  through  the  patriotic  ardor  of 
the  citizens,  and  particularly  of  llie  ladies, 
every  company  in  the  regiment  had  its  flag  and 
its  color-bearer.  We  marched  down  Michigan 
13^) 


American  Volunteer  ^^oltiier 

Avenue  to  the  Illinois  Central  station.  We 
were  sure  we  made  a  fine  show,  and  were  fully 
conscious  of  the  soldierly  appearance  we 
presented  to  the  admiring  thousands  gathered 
to  see  "another  Chicago  regiment  off  for  the 
front."  The  sidewalks  and  windows  were 
crowded;  the  ladies  waved  their  handkerchiefs 
and  clapped  their  hands,  while  the  men  and 
children  cheered.  The  day  was  very  warm, 
and  at  frequent  points  along  Michigan  Avenue, 
when  we  halted  for  brief  rests,  women  and 
girls  circulated  among  us  with  lemonade  and 
ice  water.  At  one  short  rest  at  Twelfth  Street 
I  remember  a  blooming  and  enthusiastic  maiden, 
who  was  really  very  pretty,  poured  ice  water 
upon  her  dainty  handkerchief  and  made  me 
put  it  on  my  head  inside  of  my  cap  to  prevent 
sunstroke.  Often  afterward  in  camp  I  looked 
at  that  dainty  handkerchief  and  wove  many 
fancies  about  it,  and  wondered  when  I  should 
meet  that  pretty  and  patriotic  girl  again.  All 
the  romances  I  had  read  taught  me  that  I 
should  meet  her,  but  I  never  did.  Her  name 
was  on  the  handkerchief,  but  not  her  address. 
Altogether  our  leaving  for  the  front  was  an 
enthusiastic  and  an  emotional  experience,  and 
many  a  one,  like  myself,  found  strange  ques- 
tionings rising  within  him;  shall  I  ever  again 
see  these  scenes,  these  streets,  these  homes, 
these  evidences  of  peace  and  civilization.' 
And  we  could  make  no  confident  reply. 

Arrived  at  the  station  the  men  were  much 

131 


iHntiini^cmcc^  of  Cljicajo 

surprised  and  indignant  to  find  not  a  train  of 
passenger  coaches  for  our  trans[)ortation,  but 
a  train  mainly  made  of  flat  cars,  and  of  cars 
which  had  recently  been  used  for  the  trans- 
portation of  coal  and  cattle,  and  which  had  not 
since  been  cleaned.  Cars  were  scarce,  and 
soldiers  must  be  hurried  to  the  field. 

Soldiers,  and  especially  new  soldiers,  may 
be  brave  and  gallant,  but  they  are,  I  think, 
naturally  disposed  to  grumble;  and  there  was 
quick  and  serious  murmuring  against  the 
authorities  for  such  treatment  of  patriotic 
soldiers  leaving  for  the  field.  However,  we 
were  now  under  military  command,  and  in 
spite  of  all  dissatisfaction,  men  and  officers 
were  finally  all  aboard  the  train,  and  making 
themselves  as  comfortable  as  possible;  the 
locomotive  whistled,  and  amid  the  cheers  of 
friends  we  were  off  for  the  front.  Behind  us 
were  friends,  quiet  and  peaceful  homes,  and  all 
the  refinements  of  peace  and  civilization ;  before 
us  the  mystery  of  the  battle  and  the  march,  the 
hazard  of  life  and  of  death.  A  light-hearted 
host  of  eight  hundred  young  men  were  off  to  the 
field  to  meet  the  enemies  of  their  country — -the 
enemies,  as  we  thought,  of  civilization  and  prog- 
ress; how  many,  and  which  ones,  of  the  eight 
hundred  would  come  back,  none  of  us  knew,  nor 
did  we  give  much  time  to  the  question. 

The  marches  day  after  day  were  very  long 
for  green  troops,  and   very   wearisome.     The 
132 


^metican  l^ohmtccr  c^olDier 

sun  was  intensely  hot,  and  beat  down  upon  us 
without  obstruction,  while  the  yellow  clay  roads, 
for  weeks  without  rain,  were  baked  and  parched 
to  such  a  degree  that  when  the  regiments  in 
front  of  us  had  passed  over  them  the  dust 
which  rose  into  the  air  was  simply  suffocating, 
and  there  was  no  wind  to  carry  it  aside.  The 
men  with  their  muskets  and  heavy  knapsacks 
and  the  necessary  rations  suffered  much.  They 
were  overcome  by  the  intense  heat,  the  suffo- 
cating dust,  and  the  lack  of  water,  for  all  the 
springs  were  dry.  If,  perchance,  a  mud  puddle 
were  found  in  the  road  through  which  wagon 
wheels  and  horses  had  recently  passed,  it  was 
no  uncommon  thing  to  see  the  men  throw  them- 
selves upon  their  faces  and  eagerly  drink  the 
hot  and  turbid  water;  and  more  than  once  I 
found  myself  doing  the  same  thing,  for  the  thirst 
was  intolerable.  Although  the  regiment  was 
marching  by  the  flank  in  column  of  fours,  it  was 
impossible  to  keep  the  men  in  compact  ranks, 
as  they  straggled  to  the  sides  of  the  road  seek- 
ing the  easiest  walking,  and  constantly,  one  after 
another,  overcome  with  weariness,  would  strag- 
gle to  the  fence  corners  and  lie  down  to  rest. 
To  have  the  men  under  my  eye  and  prevent 
this,  so  far  as  possible,  I  frequently  marched  at 
the  rear  of  my  company  instead  of  at  the  head. 
One  afternoon,  at  perhaps  three  or  four  o'clock, 
when  I  had  had  unusually  hard  work  trying  to 
keep  the  men  in  their  ranks,  I  was  surprised  to 
see  one  of  the  best  and  most  faithful  men  in 
133 


illmiini^ccticcj^  of  €l)ica0o 

the  company,  Corporal  Ford,  deliberately  leave 
the  company,  walk  off  to  the  side  of  the  road, 
and  throw  himself  at  full  length  upon  the  sod, 
face  downward.  Indignant  at  this  example  of 
one  of  my  best  soldiers  before  the  less  reliable 
men,  I  walked  over  rapidly  to  where  he  lay 
and  touched  him  with  my  foot,  saying,  "Cor- 
poral Ford,  I  did  not  expect  this  of  you;  get 
up."  He  moved,  and  turned  upward  toward 
me  one  of  the  most  pitiful  faces  I  ever  saw, 
covered  with  tears.  "Captain,"  he  said,  "I 
have  got  the  last  straw  that  breaks  the  camel's 
back.  You  may  kill  me  or  do  what  you  please 
with  me,  but  I  cannot  march  a  step  further 
now.  Leave  me  here,  and  I  shall  get  into 
camp  by  nine  o'clock  to-night."  He  was  a 
faithful  soldier  and  an  entirely  trustworthy 
man,  who  would  never  willingly  shirk  his  duty; 
and  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  go  on  and 
leave  him  to  rest  and  regain  a  little  strength. 
We  went  into  camp  two  or  three  hours  later 
and  five  or  six  miles  further  on,  and  true  to  his 
word.  Corporal  Ford  was  in  camp  before  nine 
o'clock  that  night.  Afterward  a  sergeant, 
Ford  is  now  in  one  of  the  numerous  Soldiers' 
Homes  which  the  government  has  erected  as 
a  refuge  for  the  men  who  were  broken  down 
bv  the  hardships  and  exposures  of  those 
trying  days. 

While  the  enlisted  men  were  weighed  down 
by  musket,  knapsack,  and  other  impediments, 
the    company    officers    generally,    and    myself 

134 


American  l^olunteer  ^^olDier 

among  the  number,  found  a  sword  and  the 
other  hght  articles  which  we  had  to  carry 
ponderously  heavy  before  the  end  of  the  day's 
march;  but  in  spite  of  this,  the  sufferings  of 
the  men  frequently  so  appealed  to  me,  as  they 
did  to  other  officers,  that  hour  after  hour  I 
relieved  one  or  another  of  my  exhausted  men 
by  shouldering  his  musket  for  him.  The  suf- 
ferings of  the  enlisted  man  on  the  march  were 
often  appalling.  His  food  was  rough,  and 
little  varied,  day  after  day  bringing  only  the 
regular  army  ration  of  hard  bread  or  "hard- 
tack," salt  pork,  and  coffee,  always  without 
milk,  and  often  without  sugar.  His  clothes, 
dealt  out  by  the  government,  were  of  coarse 
and  harsh  material,  and  often  so  ill-fitting 
that  they  caused  the  most  painful  abrasion  of 
the  skin,  especially  where  the  pantaloons  chafed 
the  legs,  and  sores  from  this  cause  often  made 
marching  a  prolonged  agony.  The  ill-fitting 
government  shoes  supplemented  this  evil,  and 
with  the  little  opportunity  the  men  sometimes 
had  for  bathing,  their  feet  were  often  covered 
with  raw  sores.  Their  piteous  appeals  to  the 
surgeons  for  relief  from  these  minor  but  serious 
afliictions  were  almost  futile,  and  their 
ingenuity  in  self-treatment  and  bandaging  be- 
came very  admirable.  Rags  smeared  with 
soap  were  looked  upon  with  much  favor  as 
bandages  for  the  feet,  and  when  they  could 
get  a  little  whiskey,  the  men  would  even  pour 
it  into  their  shoes  rather  than  drink  it. 

135 


i!!miim^cence^  of  €l)icago 

One  afternoon  one  of  the  numerous  unac- 
countable stoppages  of  the  column  halted  our 
regiment  in  front  of  a  neat-looking  farmhouse 
which  stood  a  short  distance  back  on  the  left- 
hand  side  of  the  road.  The  heat  was,  as  usual, 
oppressive,  and  the  men,  breaking  ranks,  began 
looking  for  water.  The  well,  near  the  farm- 
house door,  was  quickly  exhausted,  as  the 
water  in  it  was  low.  The  white  inhabitants 
had  deserted  the  house,  and  none  but  negroes 
were  left  about  it.  Somehow,  whether  from 
a  hint  from  the  negroes  or  not  I  do  not  know, 
the  men  removed  a  pile  of  old  lumber  between 
the  house  and  the  road  and  revealed  beneath  it 
an  old  abandoned  well,  which  proved  to  have 
at  the  bottom  of  it  five  or  six  feet  of  clear  and 
sparkling  water.  Procuring  the  bucket  and 
rope  from  the  other  well,  they  had  hauled  up 
a  bucketful  of  the  sparkling  and  cool  fluid. 
The  looks  of  the  well,  however,  when  uncovered, 
beneath  this  pile  of  old  lumber,  was  suspicious 
and  uncanny.  Incjuiring  of  the  negroes  whether 
the  water  was  all  right,  or  whether  it  might 
not  have  been  poisoned  by  the  rebel  family 
before  they  ran  away,  the  men  were  assured 
by  the  negroes  that  it  was  poisoned.  The 
men's  inquiries  had  been  prompted  by  the  fact 
that,  for  a  day  or  two  previous  to  this,  rumors 
had  been  widely  circulated  and  believed  among 
our  troops  that  various  wells  in  the  vicinity 
had  been  poisoned,  and  that  several  deaths 
among  our  soldiers  had  resulted  from  drinking 
136 


American  t^oluntcer  Soldier 

the  poisoned  water.  This  announcement  from 
the  negroes  was  a  terrible  disappointment,  as 
hundreds  of  soldiers,  suffering  from  the  most 
acute  thirst,  now  sat  about  the  well,  with  their 
famished  eyes  riveted  upon  the  clear  and 
sparkling  water  in  the  bucket.  The  disappoint- 
ment was  cruel.  The  idea  that  the  water  had 
been  treacherously  poisoned  by  civilized  people 
seemed  hardly  probable.  These  Kentuckians 
undoubtedly  sympathized  with  our  enemies, 
but  it  did  not  seem  reasonable  to  suspect  them 
of  resorting  to  the  methods  of  barbarians  in 
dealing  even  with  enemies  such  as  they  thought 
us.  After  thinking  the  matter  over  I  finally 
said  to  another  officer,  "  I  do  not  believe  that 
water  is  poisoned;  if  you  will  take  a  cup  of 
that  water  and  drink  it,  I  will  do  the  same." 
He  agreed.  We  sat  down  nearby  accord- 
ingly, each  with  his  cup  of  water,  and  began 
to  drink  it,  while  the  men  stood  around  us 
watching  us  with  the  utmost  curiosity  and 
interest,  evidently  uncertain  whether  they 
would  not  quickly  see  us  turn  pale  and  writhe 
in  agony.  Instead,  however,  we  found  the 
water  most  delicious,  and  each  of  us  held  out 
his  empty  cup  for  another  draught.  The 
thirsty  crowds  could  hold  back  no  longer,  but 
drank  the  water  as  greedily  as  if  it  had  been 
the  long-sought-for  fountain  of  eternal  youth, 
so  that  before  the  regiment  moved  on  the  w^ell 
was  dry,  and  the  regiment  marched  on  happily 
refreshed. 

137 


iltcinini^ceiicc^  of  €()tcago 

During  these  wearisome  and  exhausting 
marches  the  wonderfully  reviving  and  exhilarat- 
ing effect  of  music  was  singularly  shown.  Con- 
trary to  popular  belief,  an  army  on  the  march 
moves  ordinarily  without  music  of  any  kind. 
The  "cadenced  step"  observed  by  troops  mov- 
ing on  parade  or  marching  through  a  city  is 
entirely  abandoned,  and  "route  step"  only  is 
used — that  is,  every  individual  man  takes  his 
own  step  and  his  own  gait,  carrying  his  musket 
in  any  way  least  irksome  to  him.  Late  in  the 
afternoon,  when  a  march  of  anywhere  from 
fifteen  to  twenty-five  miles  had  been  made, 
under  the  severe  conditions  which  I  have  de- 
scribed, a  regiment  presented  a  very  sorry  and 
unmilitary  appearance.  Probably  one-half  of 
the  men,  and  often  many  more  than  one-half, 
had  dropped  out  at  various  points  along  the 
way,  and  were  lying,  exhausted  and  foot-sore, 
in  groves,  under  bushes,  hedges,  or  fence  rows, 
or  anywhere  where  they  could  find  shade  and 
physical  repose.  The  remainder,  who  still 
struggled  on  with  the  skeleton  of  the  regiment, 
were  scattered  out  from  one  side  of  the  road 
to  the  other,  often  in  the  fields  on  each  side  of 
the  road,  for  the  fences  had  generally  been 
burned,  and  presented  the  appearance  of  merely 
a  rabble  trying  to  keep  up  with  the  column. 
Sometimes  under  these  circumstances  the 
brigade  band,  a  mile  or  two  before  the  spot 
for  going  into  camp  was  reached,  would  be 
ordered  to  strike  up  an  inspiring  and  exhilarat- 
1^8 


American  Boluntccr  ^oltiier 

ing  march.  The  effect  was  always  marvelous, 
and  even  without  effort  on  the  part  of  the 
officers,  the  men  individually  at  once  assumed 
a  military  carriage  and  bearing,  and,  striking 
the  "cadenced  step,"  straightened  up  their 
ranks  and  strode  along  with  vigor  and  lightness 
of  step,  the  signs  of  weariness  and  intolerable 
languor  having  all  disappeared.  The  strains 
of  the  music  seemed  to  make  the  blood  course 
with  vigor  through  the  veins,  the  step  became 
light  and  springy,  and  it  seemed  again  almost 
a  pleasure  to  stride  on  as  trained  soldiers. 
The  sense  of  weariness  was,  to  a  great  extent, 
gone.  I  remember  too  that  on  this  march, 
one  evening  as  late  perhaps  as  six  o'clock, 
when  we  were  all  utterly  fagged  out  as  usual, 
a  lively  cannonading  sprang  up  ahead,  and  an 
order  came  back  for  our  regiment  to  double- 
quick  two  or  three  miles  to  the  front,  where 
the  rear  guard  of  the  enemy  was  making  a 
stand.  It  must  be  remembered  that  we  were 
new  troops,  and  had  never  had  a  brush  with 
the  enemy.  The  effect  of  the  anticipated 
going  into  action  was  quite  as  marvelous  and 
stimulating  as  the  strains  of  the  band,  and  the 
men  who  before  were  so  overcome  with  the 
weariness  of  long  marching,  stifling  dust,  and 
intense  heat,  that  they  could  hardly  drag  one 
foot  after  another,  now  swung  along  on  the 
light  trot  of  the  double-time  step,  to  the  sound 
of  heavy  firing  just  in  front  of  them,  with  a 
lightness  and  vigor  that  seemed  marvelous. 
139 


JUmiini^caicc^  of  Cijicago 

The  unwonted  excitement  had  had  as  invigorat- 
ing an  effect  as  music.  At  the  end  of  our 
rapid  advance,  however,  no  foe  was  found;  and 
when  we  were  obliged  to  go  into  camp  without 
the  expected  skirmish,  the  wearied  and  dispir- 
ited feehng  returned  witli  double  force.  The 
going  into  camp  after  these  exhausting  days 
was  a  wearisome  business,  for  as  a  rule  we 
were  fortunate  if  we  could  get  enough  water 
to  make  coffee  for  our  evening  meal.  There 
was  seldom  any  that  could  be  used  even  to 
wash  off  the  caked  mud,  formed  from  the  dust 
and  perspiration,  which  covered  our  faces  like 
masks.  Sometimes  my  colored  servant  man- 
aged to  procure  for  me  somewhere  a  canteen 
full  of  water  which  I  could  use  for  this  pur- 
pose, and  I  enjoyed  the  unwonted  luxury  of 
having  him  pour  it  into  my  hands,  while  I 
stood  and  hurriedly  dashed  it  over  my  face. 
Verily  the  trials  of  the  march  were  often  more 
exhausting  and  more  detrimental  to  health  and 
strength  than  were  those  of  battle. 

During  these  days  of  toilsome  marches  Gen- 
eral Buell's  army  was  pressing  upon  and  haras- 
sing the  retreating  army  of  Bragg,  and  finally 
on  the  seventh  of  October,  Buell's  forces  so 
constantly  pressed  upon  and  threatened  his 
enemy  that  the  latter  found  it  necessary  to  turn 
upon  his  foe  and  prepare  for  battle  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Perryviile  or  Chaplin  Hills.  At 
the  foot  of  these  hills  ran  a  small  river  or  creek, 
and  knowing  the  galling  scarcity  of  water  in 
140 


Slmerican  l^oluiitecr  J>oltiier 

the  region  occupied  by  Buell's  army,  Bragg  so 
disposed  his  forces  as  to  prevent  access  to  the 
stream.  There  was  considerable  heavy  skir- 
mishing between  the  two  armies  on  the  after- 
noon and  evening  of  the  seventh,  and  it  was 
evident  that  both  were  preparing  for  a  severe 
struggle  on  the  next  day.  The  troops  with 
which  our  regiment  was  marching  were  well 
toward  the  rear  of  the  column,  and  as  we  toiled 
on  near  nightfall,  it  became  evident  that  our 
troops  were  concentrating  and  occupying  posi- 
tions favorable  for  forming  line  of  battle  in  the 
morning.  The  anticipated  battle  was  looked 
forward  to  with  eagerness  by  the  troops,  who 
did  not  doubt  the  result.  Although  they  did 
not  like  General  Buell,  their  commander-in- 
chief,  they  had  confidence  in  his  ability  as  a 
soldier.  The  almost  unknown  corps  com- 
mander. General  C.  C.  Gilbert,  they  neither 
loved,  respected,  nor  trusted;  but  already  they 
had  discovered  the  high  soldierly  abilities  of 
their  division  commander,  Philip  H.  Sheridan, 
and  with  him  at  their  head  they  believed  all 
would  be  right. 

It  was  toward  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
I  should  think,  when  our  regiment  received 
instructions  to  take  position  on  the  summit  of 
a  hill  supposed  to  be  directly  in  front  and  parallel 
to  Bragg's  line  of  battle.  We  were  instructed 
in  approaching  and  taking  this  position,  in  the 
dark,  to  move  with  the  utmost  secrecy  and 
silence.  All  clashing  of  arms,  and  even  the 
141 


iHmiini^cniccsf  of  €l)icago 

rattling  of  tin  cups  and  canteens,  was  absolutely 
forbidden,  lest  the  enemy  should  discover  our 
movements.  That  day  we  had  had  the  usual 
experience  of  a  long,  hot,  and  dusty  march, 
and  there  was  no  prospect  of  any  water  for 
the  night.  As  our  regiment  toiled  in  the 
silence  and  darkness,  through  the  stifling  atmos- 
phere, up  the  dusty  road  which  led  to  the  top 
of  the  hill  we  were  to  occupy,  my  own  com- 
pany being  near  the  center  of  the  regiment,  I 
heard  a  voice  at  the  side  of  the  road  inquire, 
as  each  successive  company  filed  by,  "Is  this 
Captain  McClurg's  company?"  The  question 
was  repeated  by  a  solitary  figure  in  the  dark- 
ness as  my  own  companv  came  up,  and  upon 
my  replying  in  the  affirmative,  a  tall  and  stal- 
wart young  officer  in  the  uniform  of  a  colonel 
of  cavalry  stepped  quickly  forward,  grasped 
my  hand,  and  drew  me  into  a  fence  corner. 
At  the  same  time  he  took  from  his  neck  and 
threw  over  my  head  the  cord  of  a  canteen 
filled  with  deliciously  cold  spring  water,  saying, 
"I  have  been  waiting  here.  Alec,  for  half  an 
hour,  knowing  your  regiment  would  pass  this 
way.  You  and  your  men  have  no  chance  to 
get  water  to-night.  I  have  access  to  a  fine 
spring  at  General  Gilbert's  headquarters,  and 
I  have  brought  this  to  you,  knowing  how  much 
you  will  need  it.  Don't  let  too  many  of  the 
officers  or  men  know  you  have  it,  for  a  canteen 
full  will  not  last  long."  The  speaker  was  my 
favorite  college  companion  and  friend,  then  an 
142 


American  l^oluntccr  ^olDjer 

Ohio  lad  named  Minor  Millikin,  and  now 
"Colonel  Minor  Millikin,  commanding  the 
First  Ohio  Cavalry."  I  did  not  then  know 
that  he  and  his  command  were  in  that  part  of 
the  army,  but  somehow  he  had  learned  that 
the  Eighty-eighth  Illinois  Volunteers  belonged 
to  that  particular  division  and  brigade,  and 
would  pass  along  the  road.  He  had  become 
a  successful  and  gallant  soldier,  but  his  old, 
tender,  and  affectionate  friendship  remained 
unchanged.  He  had  been  my  ideal  hero  dur- 
ing my  college  days.  He  was  highly  educated 
and  intellectual,  magnificent  in  physique,  six 
feet  in  height,  but  slender  and  active.  He 
was  a  trained  expert  in  all  athletic  exercises, 
particularly  in  boxing,  running,  and  jumping, 
and  was  the  most  expert  horseman  I  had  ever 
known.  He  was  an  ardent  Republican  in 
politics  and  a  devoted  lover  of  his  country,  so 
he  had  enlisted  at  the  very  first  call  for  troops, 
and  had  thus  early  risen  to  the  command  of  a 
fine  cavalry  regiment.  His  dashing  manner 
and  brilliant  conversation  made  him  everywhere 
a  marked  man  and  a  favorite.  His  fondness 
for  athletic  exercises  led  him  to  devote  himself 
with  ardor  to  the  study  and  practice  of  fencing, 
and  he  was  soon  considered  one  of  the  best, 
if  not  the  best,  of  the  swordsmen  in  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland.  Such  was  the  man  who 
waited  that  night  by  the  roadside,  in  the  heat 
and  dust,  to  give  his  college  friend  a  can- 
teen of  water.  He  was  one  of  the  noblest  of 
143 


Illcitiini^ceitcc^  of  Chicago 

those  who  soon  after  fell  in  the  battle  of  Stone 
River. 

I  was  very  grateful,  and  had  much  to  say  to 
him;  but  my  regiment  was  filing  on  past  me 
rapidly,  and  I  was  obliged  to  break  away  and 
run  to  regain  the  head  of  my  company.  The 
regiment  was  soon  halted  along  the  crest  of 
the  ridge,  the  same  mysterious  silence  being 
preserved,  and  in  the  darkness  we  lay  down 
upon  our  arms  in  line  of  battle,  not  knowing 
what  the  dawning  daylight  would  reveal  in 
front  of  us.  Tired  and  weary  as  we  were,  we 
soon  fell  asleep,  only  to  be  rudely  awakened 
about  midnight  by  a  battery  of  artillery  trotting 
into  position  upon  the  very  ground  on  which 
we  were  sleeping.  There  had  been  some  con- 
fusion of  orders,  and  the  battery  had  been 
ordered  into  position  there,  in  ignorance  that 
the  ground  was  already  occupied  by  infantry. 
We  knew  nothing  of  our  danger  until  we  were 
awakened  by  the  sound  of  horses'  hoofs  and 
by  the  rumbling  of  the  guns  and  caissons.  We 
were  quickly  withdrawn  a  short  distance  to  the 
rear,  and  again  lying  down  upon  our  arms, 
were  soon  sound  asleep.  This  was  our  first 
"Night  before  the  Battle." 

In  the  morning  we  were  very  early  withdrawn 
to  another  position  in  a  little  valley  toward  the 
rear,  while  to  the  front  our  artillery  very  soon 
began  to  roar,  evidently  hotly  replied  to,  by  the 
enemy.  Soon,  too,  we  began  to  hear  the 
volley  firing  of  infantry.  These  were  novel 
144 


American  l^oluitteer  ^oIDier 

sounds  at  such  short  distance  to  men  who  had 
left  their  homes  in  Chicago  only  one  month 
and  four  days  before;  but,  naturally  enough, 
as  green  soldiers,  we  were  anxious  to  partici- 
pate, and  when  the  morning  passed  away  and 
the  early  hours  of  the  afternoon  found  us  still 
in  the  reserve,  and  behind  a  line  of  low  hills 
which  entirely  shut  out  all  view  of  the  battle- 
field, we  bitterly  bewailed  the  fate  that  kept  us 
in  the  rear;  for  did  it  not  then  seem  possible, 
and  even  probable,  that  we  should  never  again 
have  the  opportunity  to  participate  in  or  even 
to  witness  a  great  battle?  While  we  were  still 
in  this  position  I  was  again  happily  surprised 
by  a  visit  from  my  friend,  Colonel  Millikin. 
He  said,  "I  have  just  come  from  that  hill, 
where  with  a  portion  of  my  regiment  I  am 
stationed  with  General  Gilbert  and  his  staff, 
and  I  want  you  to  go  up  there  with  me.  It 
commands  a  magnificent  view  of  the  battle- 
field, and  you  may  never  have  an  opportunity 
to  see  such  a  sight  again."  I  was  at  once 
fired  with  a  strong  desire  to  go  with  him,  but 
I  could  not,  without  a  sad  breach  of  discipline, 
leave  my  command  then,  unless  by  permission 
of  the  colonel  of  my  regiment.  It  happened 
that  at  that  time  there  was  a  great  deal  of 
friction  and  animosity  between  most  of  the  line 
officers  of  the  regiment  and  our  colonel,  and, 
like  many  others  of  the  officers,  I  did  not 
speak  with  him,  except  officially.  I  therefore 
told  Millikin  that  I  could  not  go  with  him,  as  I 

145 


lUemini^cence^  of  Cfjicago 

would  not  ask  the  colonel's  permission,  and  I 
did  not  believe  he  would  grant  the  permission 
if  I  did.  Whereupon  he  at  once  exclaimed, 
"I  will  go  and  ask  the  permission  for  you. 
Your  colonel  will  not  refuse  the  request  of 
another  colonel."  In  a  few  moments  he  was 
at  my  side  again  with  the  desired  permission, 
and  we  quickly  ascended  the  hill  together. 
Arrived  at  the  top,  amid  the  incessant  roar  of 
artillery  and  musketry,  I  had  my  first  view  of 
a  battle-field  from  a  safe  distance.  I  must 
confess  to  a  feeling  at  first  of  great  disappoint- 
ment, for  it  was  not  at  all  like  what  I  had  expected. 
Scattered  over  several  miles  of  rolling  fields 
and  low  hills,  one  could  see,  here  and  there, 
great  puffs  of  smoke,  which  revealed  tlie  posi- 
tions of  belching  batteries,  and  occasionally  a 
battery  of  guns  would  be  seen  in  motion 
wheeling"  into  a  new  position  and  unUmbering 
its  guns.  Here  and  there,  too,  would  be  seen 
stretched  out  long,  thin  lines  of  blue-coated 
infantry,  with  long,  thin  lines  perhaps  of  infan- 
try clad  in  gray  uniforms  opposite  to  tliem, 
with  a  rapid  interchange  of  musketry  fire 
between  them.  Here  and  there,  too,  there 
were  groups  of  mounted  officers  on  both  sides; 
but  there  were  not  anywhere  the  great  masses 
of  men  that  descriptions  of  battles  had  led  me 
to  expect.  Nowhere  were  there  massed  any 
solid  columns  charging  similar  masses  of  the 
enemy;  only  here  and  there  one  of  these  thin, 
attenuated  lines  moving  forward  to  dislodge 
146 


American  Volunteer  ^SolDier 

their  enemy,  perhaps  from  some  post  of  van- 
tage behind  a  fence  row.  It  looked  almost 
tame.  It  became  exciting  enough,  however, 
when  I  realized  that  in  reality  poor  fellows 
were  dying  and  being  maimed  all  over  that 
vast  field,  while  the  fortunes  of  an  unhappy 
country  hung  in  the  balance.  I  soon  became 
very  uneasy,  and  insisted  on  hastening  back  to 
my  regiment,  as  I  could  not  tell  at  what 
moment  it  might  be  ordered  into  action,  and 
in  such  case  I  could  not  afford  to  be  absent 
from  my  company  even  with  permission.  It 
was  well  I  hurried  back,  for  I  had  scarcely 
rejoined  the  command  when  the  order  to 
advance  was  delivered  to  our  colonel.  It 
seemed  that  one  of  our  batteries  was  advan- 
tageously posted  on  a  hill  a  little  in  advance  of 
our  general  line,  and  was  doing  such  execution 
upon  the  enemy  that  a  confederate  brigade  had 
been  put  in  motion  to  assault  and  capture  it. 
Our  regiment,  with  the  remainder  of  our 
brigade,  was  ordered  to  the  support  of  the 
battery  and  to  meet  and  repel  the  attack.  We 
were  marched  by  the  flank,  along  the  crest  of 
the  hill,  a  little  to  the  rear  of  the  guns  of 
Hescock's  battery,  were  faced  to  the  front, 
and  ordered  forward.  We  advanced,  passed 
the  guns,  and  started  down  the  slope  which 
the  enemy's  line,  still  concealed  from  us,  was 
ascending.  Neither  we  nor  they  had  thrown 
out  skirmishers,  a  thing  which  would  scarcely 
have  occurred  later  in  the  war,  and  as  they 
147 


i^ntiinij^cnicf^  of  <t()tcago 

came  up  the  rounding  swell  of  the  hill  and  we 
advanced  down  it,  the  two  lines  of  battle  con- 
fronted each  other  suddenly,  at,  I  should  think, 
not  more  than  thirty  yards*  distance.  With 
rare  presence  of  mind  and  good  judgment  our 
colonel,  knowing  his  troops  to  be  untried, 
immediately  commanded,  "Battalion,  halt!  lie 
down!" — and  followed  this  with  the  command, 
"Fire  at  will."  There  commenced  at  once  a 
fearful  exchange  of  volleys,  but  we  had  the 
advantage.  It  was  our  duty  only  to  hold  our 
ground.  It  was  theirs  to  advance,  and  our 
volleys  caused  much  more  execution  in  their 
erect  ranks  than  theirs  could  in  our  prostrate 
line.  It  happened  that  when  our  regiment  was 
ordered  forward  more  than  half  of  my  company 
was  absent  on  detached  duty,  escorting  and 
guarding  a  supply  train,  so  that  I  had  not  more 
than  from  thirty  to  forty  men  in  the  ranks  when 
we  met  the  enemy.  As  this  was  the  first  time 
tlie  regiment  had  been  under  fire,  when  the 
order  to  lie  down  w^as  given  by  the  colonel 
most  of  the  companv  officers,  knowing  they 
were  on  trial  before  their  men,  remained  upon 
their  feet.  I  did  so  among  the  others,  but  not 
wishing  to  stand  still,  and  so  present  an 
attractive  target,  I  kept  moving  up  and  down 
behind  my  short  companv  line,  anxious  that 
they  should  do  their  duty,  and  determined  to 
check  the  first  sign  of  [)anic  or  running  away. 
The  men  fired  steadily,  rolling  over  upon  their 
backs  to  load  (for  it  must  be  remembered  we 
148 


American  Volunteer  Soldier 

were  armed  with  the  old  muzzle-loading  guns), 
and,  when  they  had  loaded,  each  man  again 
turning  upon  his  stomach  and  rising  upon  his 
elbow  to  aim  and  fire.  Just  as  one  of  the  men, 
whom  I  happened  to  be  looking  at,  rose  thus 
to  fire,  a  minie  ball  struck  him  in  the  breast, 
and  he  sank  forward,  limp  and  lifeless.  Next 
to  him  lay  a  young  stripling  of  a  boy  only 
about  eighteen  years  of  age.  Seeing  the  blood 
gush  from  his  companion's  breast  and  his  form 
sink  limp  and  lifeless,  the  boy  in  a  panic 
suddenly  rose  to  his  feet  and  started  for  the 
rear.  I  called  to  a  sergeant,  who  was  lying  a 
few  feet  behind  him,  to  stop  him,  but  either 
not  wishing  to  expose  himself  by  rising  to  his 
feet  or  for  some  other  reason,  the  sergeant 
allowed  the  boy  to  pass  and  run  up  the  hill  to 
the  rear.  Dreading  the  demoralization  of  the 
men  by  such  an  example,  I  started  after  him, 
and  quickly  overtaking  him,  caught  him  by  the 
collar  of  his  coat,  swung  him  round  to  the 
front,  and  I  am  afraid  my  too  willing  foot 
helped  to  emphasize  my  order  to  return  to  his 
post.  He  had  his  musket  in  his  hand,  and 
running  promptly  down  the  hill  again,  he  fell 
into  his  place  beside  his  dead  comrade  and  did 
his  duty  steadily  through  the  remainder  of  the 
engagement.  The  exposed  confederate  force 
could  not  advance  against  our  steady  and 
effective  fire,  and  soon  retired  down  the  hill, 
foiled  in  their  purpose.  The  whole  affair  did 
not,  1  suppose,  occupy  over  forty  minutes,  and 
149 


l^tcmini^ccncf^  of  Cl)icago 

the  regiment  felt  highly  elated  over  the  success 
of  their  first  collision  with  the  enemy.  The 
execution  in  our  own  ranks  was  not  severe,  the 
regiment  losing  four  killed  and  about  thirty- 
five  wounded.  My  own  company,  being  Com- 
pany H,  was  posted  upon  the  flank  of  "C," 
the  color  company,  so  that  it  directly  joined 
the  colors  of  the  regiment,  and  besides  this  the 
mounted  officers  of  the  regiment,  the  Colonel 
and  tiie  field  officers,  sat  upon  their  horses 
almost  directly  in  our  rear,  and  these  circum- 
stances I  suppose  caused  a  concentration  of  the 
enemy's  fire  in  our  direction.  Considering 
the  small  number  of  men  in  the  ranks  of  the 
company  at  the  time,  we  suffered  somewhat 
out  of  proportion  with  the  rest  of  the  regiment, 
having  two  men  killed  outright  and  three 
wounded.  When  this  brush  was  over  the  sun 
had  set,  and  the  enemy  generally  fell  back 
from  tlic  front  of  our  army.  We  felt  that  we 
had  had  the  best  of  the  struggle,  and  the  troops 
generally,  although  many  of  the  regiments  had 
suffered  very  severely,  were  confident  and 
exhilarated.  We  supposed  that  with  returning 
daylight  we  should  advance,  and  either  com- 
pletely rout  or  capture  our  enemy.  In  my 
company  we  gave  immediate  attention  to  the 
dead  and  wounded,  burying  two  of  our  com- 
rades upon  the  field  where  they  fell,  and  seeing 
that  the  wounded  were  cared  for  by  the  sur- 
geons. 


g>uppre)2i)2iion  of  ti^e  Cimejs 

[Reprinted  from  "Bygone  Days  in  Chicago,"  by 
Frederick  Francis  Cook,  by  courtesy  of  A.  C. 
McClurg  &  Co.] 


ONE  of  the  most  exciting  events  in  the 
annals  of  Chicago  was  the  suppression 
of  the  Times,  on  June  2,  1863,  by 
mihtary  edict.  General  Ambrose  E.  Burnside, 
chiefly  distinguished  for  a  magnificent  pair  of 
side-whiskers,  had  command  of  the  department 
which  included  Chicago,  with  headquarters  at 
Cincinnati;  and  from  thence,  on  June  I,  1863, 
there  issued  a  mandate,  excluding  the  New 
York  World  from  the  mails  within  his  military 
jurisdiction;  and  an  order  to  General  Sweet, 
commander  at  Camp  Douglas,  to  take  charge 
of  the  Times  office  and  prevent  any  further 
issues  of  that  notorious  Copperhead  sheet. 

To  call  this  order  a  blunder  is  the  mildest 
characterization  that  can  be  applied  to  it.  The 
unthinking  mass  of  Republicans  hailed  it  with 
delight,  and  gave  it  stout  support.  But  the 
more  sober-minded  leaders  of  the  party  fully 
appreciated  its  menace,  not  only  to  civil  liberty, 
but  to  law  and  order.  Perhaps  the  one  per- 
sonally least  concerned  in  this  crisis  was  the 
owner  and  editor  of  the  Times,  Wilbur  F. 
Storey.  It  required  no  prophet  to  predict 
that  the  order  would  not   stand;    and   in  the 

151 


lUntimi^cencc^  of  Cljicago 

meantime  it  gave  the  paper  a  country-wide 
notoriety,  wliile  the  act  served  only  to  give 
color  to  the  often  reiterated  charge  (that  for 
which  the  paper  was  suppressed),  namely,  that 
"the  war,  as  waged  by  military  satraps  of  the 
administration,  was  a  subversion  of  the  Consti- 
tution and  the  people's  rights  under  the  law." 

To  the  Copperhead  leaders  the  order  came 
as  a  godsend.  Through  an  irresponsible  mili- 
tary zealot  they  had  at  one  bound  been  fixed 
in  the  saddle,  booted  and  spurred,  with  the 
hated  "abolition"  enemy  divided,  distracted, 
and  on  the  run.  Let  it  be  remembered  that 
Chicago  was  in  fact  a  Democratic  city;  that 
it  had  a  Democratic  mayor  and  council;  and 
that  the  l^inies  was  the  municipality's  official 
organ. 

The  order  was  in  effect  a  declaration  of 
martial  law.  Only  by  a  military  force  could 
it  be  carried  out  and  maintained,  for  the  entire 
civil  machinery,  including  the  United  States 
court,  was  opposed  to  it.  Another  step,  and 
the  city,  the  State,  and  wide  areas  beyond 
might  be  in  the  throes  of  a  civil  war  within  a 
civil  war.  As  soon  as  the  news  of  what  was 
to  happen  spread  among  the  people,  the  strain 
between  the  opposing  sides  became  threaten- 
ingly tense,  and  with  "  Copperheadism"  most 
resolutely  to  the  fore;  while  on  every  side  one 
heard  the  threat,  which  grew  with  each  hour, 
"If  the  Times  is  not  allowed  to  publish,  there 
will  be  no  Tribune.^' 

152 


^upprc^^ion  of  tFje  Zimt^ 

As  soon  as  the  news  of  the  intended  sup- 
pression reached  the  Times  office,  every  de- 
partment received  a  rush  order,  and  the  press 
(this  was  before  the  days  of  stereotyping,  and 
the  dupHcation  of  "forms")  was  set  in  motion 
at  the  earhest  possible  hour;  while  the  issue  as 
fast  as  printed  was  bundled  out  of  the  building 
into  safe  quarters  for  distribution.  A  horse- 
man was  sent  to  Camp  Douglas,  with  orders  to 
speed  to  the  office  as  soon  as  a  detachment 
of  the  garrison  was  seen  to  leave  the  camp. 
He  arrived  shortly  after  two  o'clock  with 
the  report  that  the  "Lincoln  hirelings"  had 
started;  and  within  an  hour  a  file  of  soldiers 
broke  into  the  office  and  formally  took  posses- 
sion. When  everything  had  been  brought  to 
a  standstill,  and  the  place  put  in  charge  of  a 
caretaker,  the  troops  departed;  but  word  was 
left  that  at  the  first  sign  of  activity  they  would 
return.  They  did  return  shortly,  on  an  un- 
founded report  that  an  attempt  was  being  made 
to  issue  a  supplementary  edition. 

All  through  the  day  great  crowds  were 
gathered  about  the  Randolph  Street  entrance 
of  the  publication  office;  and  by  evening  the 
thoroughfare  from  State  Street  to  Dearborn 
Street  was  a  solid  pack  of  humanity.  Mean- 
time the  city  had  been  flooded  with  handbills 
calling  upon  the  people  to  resent  this  military 
interference  with  the  freedom  of  the  press,  and 
making  announcement  that  a  mass  meeting  in 
protest   of  the   order    would  be    held    on   the 

153 


iJlcmiui^cciice^  of  €f)icago 

north  side  of  the  Courthouse  Square  in  the 
evening.  When  the  time  for  this  meeting 
came,  and  a  thousand  oft-repeated  cries  of 
"Storey!"  "Storey!"  had  met  with  no  re- 
sponse, the  crowd  spontaneously  moved  two 
blocks  west  to  the  Square,  where  by  eight 
o'clock  an  estimated  crowd  of  twenty  thousand 
people  was  gathered,  which  was  to  the  full 
the  city's  total  voting  population. 

The  situation  certainly  called  for  serious, 
deliberate,  and  concerted  action  on  the  part  of 
all  law  and  order  loving  citizens.  While  the 
rank  and  file  of  the  opposing  currents  stood 
face  to  face  in  sullen,  menacing  opposition, 
the  conservative  leaders  of  both  sides  were  in 
council  to  avert  threatening  trouble.  At  a 
mob  demonstration  the  Copperhead  faction 
would  undoubtedly  have  had  a  numerical  ad- 
vantage, besides  having  the  partisan  police  on 
its  side.  But  this  was  at  least  partly  offset  by 
the  fact  that  the  militia  had  been  placed  under 
arms,  and  could  be  depended  on  to  side  with 
the  war  party;  and,  moreover,  in  any  protracted 
struggle,  there  was  the  Camp  Douglas  garrison 
to  fall  back  upon,  though  any  considerable 
withdrawal  from  that  Rebel  stronghold  might 
in  the  circumstances  have  been  a  hazardous 
adventure. 

The  greatest  concern  was  lest  the  meeting- 
fall  into  the  hands  of  irresponsible  Copperhead 
demagogues  who  might  inflame  it  to  action. 
A  favorite  speaker  with  the  Democratic  masses 
154 


Suppression  of  tf)t  Zimt^ 

was  E.  W.  McComas,  an  ex-Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor of  Virginia,  and  editor  of  the  Times  under 
a  former  regime.  He  called  the  meeting  to 
order,  and  devoted  his  introductory  remarks 
to  a  counsel  of  prudence.  Then  he  introduced 
Samuel  W.  Fuller  as  chairman,  who  spoke  at 
considerable  length  in  the  same  strain.  After 
Fuller  came  General  Singleton,  a  fiery  Demo- 
cratic war  horse  from  the  central  part  of  the 
State,  under  whose  lashings  of  the  administra- 
tion the  meeting  was  brought  close  to  the 
danger  line.  He  was  followed  by  E.  G.  Asay, 
another  Democrat,  in  a  more  conciliatory  vein. 
Then  came  Wirt  Dexter,  a  prominent  Repub- 
lican lawyer,  with  the  message  that  steins  were 
being  taken  by  leading  men  from  both  sides  to 
have  the  Burnside  order  rescinded.  He  voiced 
in  no  uncertain  tones  the  opposition  of  the 
conservative  element  of  his  party  to  this  mili- 
tary interference  with  the  freedom  of  the  press, 
and  assured  the  crowd  that  the  measures  to  be 
taken  would  surely  result  in  the  President's 
rescinding  the  order.  This  speech  had  an 
excellent  effect  on  the  assemblage,  and  the 
danger  point  was  passed. 

While  the  mass  meeting  was  in  progress 
outside,  another  was  taking  place  in  one  of  the 
courtrooms.  Judge  Van  H.  Higgins  was  at 
this  time  a  stockholder  in  the  Tribune,  and  its 
property  was  in  danger.  Largely  through  his 
efforts  prominent  men  from  both  sides  had 
been  brought  together,  and   Mayor  Sherman 

155 


JUmiini^cnicf^  of  Ct)ica0o 

was  called  to  the  chair.  The  meeting  was 
addressed  among  others  by  Judge  Van  H. 
Higgins,  Senator  Lyman  Trumbull,  Congress- 
man I.  N.  Arnold,  and  Wirt  Dexter  for  the 
Republicans;  and  by  William  B.  Ogden,  S.  S. 
Hayes,  A.  W.  Arrington,  and  M.  F.  Tuley  for 
the  Democrats. 

On  motion  of  William  B.  Ogden,  Chicago's 
first  mayor,  the  following  preamble  and  reso- 
lution were  adopted: — 

"Whereas,  in  the  opinion  of  this  meeting  of 
citizens  of  all  parties,  the  peace  of  this  city 
and  State,  if  not  also  the  general  welfare  of 
the  country,  are  likely  to  be  promoted  by  the 
suspension  or  rescinding  of  the  recent  order  of 
General  Burnside  for  the  suppression  of  The 
C/iii'di^o  Times ;  therefore 

"Resolved,  that  upon  the  ground  of  expedi- 
ency alone,  such  of  our  citizens  as  concur  in 
this  opinion,  without  regard  to  party,  are 
hereby  recommended  to  unite  in  a  petition  to 
the  President,  respectfully  asking  the  suspen- 
sion or  rescinding  of  the  order." 

When  one  contrasts  this  negative  and  color- 
less declaration  with  any  word  pro  or  con  that 
might  have  been  sent  to  the  President  as 
expressive  of  the  sentiments  of  the  passion- 
blown  crowd  outside,  one  feels  instinctively 
that  all  the  elements  that  entered  into  the 
problem  before  the  meeting  of  leaders  were 
weighed  with  the  utmost  care,  and  the  equation 
reduced  to  its  dynamic  minimum. 
156 


^upprej^jEfion  of  tlje  Zimt^ 

On  motion,  Messrs.  William  B.  Ogden,  Van 
H,  Higgins,  A.  C.  Coventry,  Hugh  T.  Dickey, 
and  C.  Beckwith  were  appointed  a  committee 
to  promote  the  circulation  of  the  petition  among 
tlie  people.  The  resolutions  were  at  once  for- 
warded to  the  President,  with  an  additional 
telegram  signed  jointly  by  Senator  Trumbull 
and  Congressman  Arnold,  praying  him  to  give 
the  voice  of  the  meeting  immediate  and  serious 
consideration. 

And  still  further  action  was  taken  to  restore 
the  balance  between  the  civil  and  military 
powers  so  rudely  disturbed.  The  courts  were 
appealed  to,  and  shortly  after  midnight  Judge 
Thomas  Drummond  of  the  United  States  court, 
issued  a  writ  directing  the  military  authorities 
to  take  no  further  steps  to  carry  into  effect  the 
Burnside  order. 

No  man  stood  higher  in  the  community  than 
Judge  Drummond.  In  issuing  the  order  his 
honor  spoke  these  pregnant  words: — 

"I  may  be  pardoned  for  saying  that,  per- 
sonally and  officially,  I  desire  to  give  every  aid 
and  assistance  in  my  power  to  the  Government 
and  to  the  administration  in  restoring  the  Union. 
But  I  have  always  wished  to  treat  the  Govern- 
ment as  a  government  of  law  and  a  govern- 
ment of  the  Constitution,  and  not  as  a 
government  of  mere  physical  force.  I  per- 
sonally have  contended,  and  shall  always  con- 
tend, for  the  right  of  free  discussion,  and  the 
right  of  commenting  under  the  law,  and  under 
157 


I5miini^cntce^  of  €l)icago 

the  Constitution,  upon  the  acts  of  officers  of 
the  Government. " 

How  serious  the  menace  to  the  Tribune  was 
regarded  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  the 
correspondent  of  the  New  Yorlc  Herald  closed 
his  dispatch  for  the  night,  "At  this  hour  the 
Tribune  still  stands."  None  were  more  alive 
to  the  danger  threatening  their  property  than 
the  owners  of  this  resolute  war  paper.  Accord- 
ing to  reports  the  old  Clark  Street  rookery 
opposite  the  Sherman  House,  and  within  sound 
of  the  clamor  of  the  great  assemblage,  had 
been  transformed  into  an  arsenal,  with  Colonel 
Jennison,  of  "jayhawking"  notoriety,  in  com- 
mand. This  whilom  lieutenant  of  "  Osawat- 
omie "  Brown,  during  the  trying  "Bloody 
Kansas"  days,  was  endowed  by  the  mass 
of  Republicans  with  an  almost  superhuman 
prowess;  and  at  the  same  time  was  a  veritable 
red  rag  to  the  Copperhead  bull.  He  was 
togged  in  quite  the  present  cowboy  fashion ; 
and  whenever  seen  on  the  street  was  followed 
by  a  crowd  of  gaping  admirers.  Armed  men, 
according  to  rumor,  had  been  quietly  smuggled 
to  the  lofts  of  various  buildings  about  the 
Tribune ;  and,  in  case  the  journalistic  strong- 
hold was  attacked,  on  a  word  from  this  leader 
they  would  strew  Clark  Street  with  Copper- 
head corpses.  These  reports,  however  small 
their  foundation,  had  no  doubt  a  salutary  effect 
on  the  more  timid. 

That  Colonel  Jennison  was  en  rapport  with 
158 


J)upprc^jSiiou  of  tf)e  Zimt^ 

the  denizens  of  a  number  of  upper  floors  in 
the  neighborhood,  there  is  no  manner  of  doubt. 
There  were  human  wild  beasts  to  subdue  in 
that  vicinage;  and,  as  a  hunter  who  could 
track  the  "tiger"  to  his  lair,  the  Colonel  had 
few  equals. 

The  Democrats  having  had  their  inning, 
there  was  a  gathering  in  force  of  Republicans 
on  the  following  evening,  their  obvious  object 
being  to  call  to  account  those  members  of  the 
party  who  had  memorialized  the  President  to 
undo  the  work  of  Burnside.  When  Senator 
Trumbull  undertook  to  address  the  meeting  he 
found  the  crowd  in  a  very  ugly  mood.  He 
was  frequently  interrupted,  again  and  again 
charged  with  consorting  with  "traitors,"  with 
aiding  and  abetting  the  enemy,  while  over  and 
over  again  there  were  cries,  "We  want 
Jennison,"  "Jennison  is  the  man  for  us." 
On  the  same  evening  a  meeting,  at  which  prac- 
tically all  the  newspapers  of  the  city  were 
represented,  was  held  in  New  York,  with 
Horace  Greeley  in  f\'S  chair,  and  the  Burnside 
order  was  denounced  in  no  uncertain  terms. 

On  the  following  day,  June  4th,  General 
Burnside  announced  that  the  President  had 
rescinded  both  the  JVor/d  and  Times  military 
order.  The  result  was  that  the  circulation  of 
the  Times  was  largely  increased. 


159 


IFovci-l 


South  Tarli 


Calumet 


JlL. 


JL JIL 


fL-j 


'1^ 


Camp  Douglas,  1  864-5 


i^i0tor^  of  Camp  Bouglajs 

[Paper  read  before  The  Chicago  Historical  Society, 
by  William  Bross,  June  l8,  1878.] 


CHICAGO,  with  the  exception  of  San 
Francisco  the  youngest  of  the  leading 
cities  of  the  repubhc,  has  abundant 
reason  to  be  satisfied  with  her  patriotic  record 
made  during  the  Rebellion.  From  that  quiet 
sabbath  morning,  when  the  news  flashed 
through  the  streets  that  the  rebels  had  fired 
upon  Fort  Sumter  at  4  o'clock  on  Friday 
afternoon,  April  12,  1861,  and  the  people  left 
their  churches,  with  the  organ  pealing  out  the 
"Star  Spangled  Banner,"  till  treason  was 
stamped  out  by  the  capture  of  Jeff.  Davis,  on 
the  lOth  of  May,  1865,  a  very  large  majority 
of  them  seemed  deeply  imbued  with  the  same 
spirit  that  inspired  their  fathers  when  "they 
pledged  their  lives,  their  fortunes,  and  their 
sacred  honor,"  to  preserve  the  integrity,  and  to 
establish  the  liberty  of  their  country.  The 
Board  of  Trade,  though  purely  a  commercial 
organization,  was  accorded  the  leadership  in 
raising  regiments  and  batteries,  and  they, 
and  our  merchants  and  citizens  generally, 
poured  out  their  money  without  stint  for  this 
purpose,  and  to  send  hospital  stores  to  the 
front;  the  ladies  got  up  sanitary  fairs,  and 
161 


iHemini^ccncf^  of  €I)icago 

generally,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the 
war,  all  the  energies,  the  wealth,  and  the  power 
of  the  city  were  at  the  service  of  the  govern- 
ment. The  treason  and  malignity  of  the  few 
slimy  Copperheads,  that  crawled  about  the  dens 
of  the  city,  seemed  only  to  render  the  patriotism 
of  the  people  the  more  conspicuous  and  inspir- 
ing. But  though  few  in  number,  the  traitors 
were  ever  active,  and  if  Chicago  escaped  the 
bloody  riots,  the  murders,  and  the  incendiaries' 
torch  that  were  rife  in  New  York  and  Baltimore, 
it  was  simply  because  she  had  a  small  force  of 
"the  bravest  of  the  brave"  at  Camp  Douglas, 
commanded  by  an  able  general,  whose  energy 
never  faltered,  and  whose  vigilance  never  slept. 

The  State  has  recorded,  too  briefly,  it  is  true, 
the  deeds  of  our  brave  boys  on  the  battle-fields 
of  the  republic.  The  National  Sanitary  Com- 
mission has  preserved  the  benevolent  acts  of 
our  people;  but  the  complete  history  of  Camp 
Douglas,  and  the  means  by  which  Chicago  was 
saved  from  destruction,  remains  to  be  written. 

Professor  Elias  Colbert  in  his  "History  of 
the  Garden  City,"  published  in  1868,  gives 
much  valuable  information  and  very  important 
facts  and  figures,  for  many  of  which  I  am 
greatly  indebted,  but  I  shall  confine  myself,  in 
this  paper,  mainly  to  what  I  know  personally 
about  these  matters,  to  statements  of  men  now 
living  in  our  midst,  and  accurate  sources  of 
information  now  in  my  possession. 


162 


IJi^torp  of  Camp  SDougla^ 

Late  in  May,  1864,  General  Sweet  was 
ordered  to  take  command  of  Camp  Douglas. 
As  only  thirteen  years  have  passed  since  it  was 
abandoned,  its  property  removed,  and  its  build- 
ings were  sold,  it  may  seem  strange  that  the 
most  difficult  part  of  my  task  has  been  to  find 
what  were  its  exact  boundaries.  I  could  say, 
with  scores  of  our  old  citizens  of  whom 
I  asked  the  question,  "Where  was  Camp 
Douglas?"  that  it  was  located  directly  north 
of  the  University,  fronting  east,  on  Cottage 
Grove  Avenue;  but  what  were  its  exact  limits 
east  and  west,  north  and  south,  it  seemed,  for 
a  time,  about  impossible  for  me  to  determine. 
After  devoting  leisure  half-hours  among  my 
friends  for  a  couple  of  weeks,  with  no  satis- 
factory results,  I  fortunately  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Captain  E.  R.  P.  Shurley,  General 
Sweet's  assistant  adjutant-general.  Captain 
Charles  Goodman,  for  most  of  the  time  chief 
quartermaster,  from  October  23,  1862,  till 
the  camp  was  closed;  and  his  chief  assistant. 
Captain  E.  V.  Roddin.  It  is  the  highest  pos- 
sible compliment  to  Captain  Goodman  that 
about  $40,000,000  worth  of  Government  prop- 
erty passed  through  his  hands,  and  not  a  single 
mistake  of  any  kind  was  found  in  his  accounts. 
These  gentlemen,  on  Tuesday,  June  4th,  spent 
half  a  day  with  me  going  all  around  and  over 
the  grounds  once  occupied  by  Camp  Douglas, 
and  it  was  one  of  the  richest  treats  I  ever  enjoyed 
to  hear  them  locate  the  different  parts  of  it,  and 
163 


JUcminisfcntce^  of  Cfjtcago 

talk  over  the  incidents  of  these  memorable 
years.  "Here  were  the  ovens,  there  the  hos- 
pitals; here  was  the  dead-line,  and  there  the 
officers'  quarters;  here  were  the  rebel  barracks, 
and  in  this  corner,  those  that  escaped  usually 
dug  out." 

The  sewer  at  the  foot  of  Thirty-third  Street, 
costing  $9,000,  though  the  digging  was  done 
by  the  rebels,  half  a  dozen  of  whom  came  near 
losing  their  lives  by  the  caving  of  the  banks, 
still  does  excellent  duty,  and  discharges  a  large 
stream  into  the  lake ;  it  was  built  of  plank,  and 
hence  it  may  be  doubted  whether  it  will  last  as 
long  as  the  Cloaca  Maxima,  which  still  per- 
forms the  same  service  for  which  it  was  built 
by  Tarquin,  2,500  years  ago. 

In  1 86 1,  when  the  camp  was  located  by 
General  A.  C.  Fuller,  then  adjutant-general 
of  the  State,  and  until  after  it  was  abandoned 
in  1865,  the  ground  it  occupied,  and  all  around 
it,  was  open  prairie.  For  this  reason  the 
Government  took  possession  of  it  for  that 
purpose.  Now  there  are  several  streets  cut 
through  it,  and  single  houses,  and  even  blocks 
are  scattered  over  it  in  all  directions.  Hence, 
it  is  no  disparagement  to  the  excellent  military 
gentlemen  who  so  kindly  accompanied  me, 
that  they  were  not  a  little  confused,  as  to 
where  the  fence  around  Camp  Douglas  was, 
and  it  was  not  till  they  compared  their  impres- 
sions with  the  positive  knowledge  of  the  owner 
of  the  grounds,  Henry  Graves,  Esq.,  whom 
164 


l^ije^torp  of  Camp  2Dougiajef 

we  fortunately  met,  that  I  was  able  to  settle, 
as  I  hope,  definitely,  where  the  enclosure  of 
the  camp  was  located.  None  of  the  streets 
are  named  on  the  latest  lithograph  of  Captain 
Goodman,  as  also  that  of  Captain  Shurley, 
both  of  which  I  have  the  pleasure,  in  their 
behalf,  to  present  to  the  Society,  though  it  is 
not  at  all  difficult  to  locate  Cottage  Grove 
Avenue.  A  map  kindly  furnished  me  by 
W.  B.  H.  Gray,  Esq.,  conceded  to  be  the  best 
informed  man  in  the  city  in  regard  to  its 
topography,  was  valuable  to  us;  but  I  am  sorry 
to  say  it  is  incorrect  in  several  particulars. 

After  all  these  preliminaries,  I  can  now  say 
that  the  boundaries  of  Camp  Douglas  were  as 
follows:  The  south  east  corner  was  at  the 
intersection  of  Cottage  Grove  Avenue  and 
College  Place,  the  northern  boundary  of  the 
University  grounds;  thence  the  line  ran  west 
on  College  Place  to  its  intersection  with  Rhodes 
Avenue;  thence  diagonally  in  a  northwesterly 
direction  to  the  corner  of  South  Park  Avenue 
and  Thirty-third  Street;  thence  west  on  Thirty- 
third  Street  to  its  intersection  with  Forest 
Avenue;  thence  north  on  Forest  Avenue  to 
Thirty-first  Street;  thence  east  along  Thirty- 
first  Street  to  South  Park  Avenue;  thence 
south  along  South  Park  Avenue  about  one 
hundred  and  sixty  feet;  thence  east  to  Cottage 
Grove  Avenue;  thence  along  that  avenue  to  the 
place  of  beginning,  except  the  residence  of 
Henry  Graves,  Esq.,  around  which  the  fence 
165 


lUcniini^ccticc^  of  Cfjicago 

was  built  as  shown  upon  the  lithograph. ' 
It  was,  perhaps,  two  hundred  feet  south  of 
the  main  entrance,  three  hundred  feet  front  on 
Cottage  Grove  Avenue  by  two  hundred  feet 
deep.  Since  the  camp  was  abandoned,  Thirty- 
second  Street  has  been  cut  through  east  and 
west;  and  Graves  and  Dexter  Place,  Rhodes, 
Vernon,  South  Park,  and  Calumet  avenues, 
with  sundry  alleys  north  and  south,  so  that  its 
location  might  well  confuse  any  one  who  had 
not  been  constantly  on  the  ground  as  Mr.  Graves 
has,  to  take  note  of  the  changes  that  have  been 
so  constantly  going  on  from  year  to  year. 
And  besides,  as  above  stated,  many  blocks  of 
residences,  single  dwellings,  and  several  grocery 
houses  are  now  scattered  all  over  it.  The 
south  gate  was  at  Rhodes  Avenue;  the  main 
entrance,  the  posts  of  which  are  still  to  be  seen 
just  above  the  ground,  was  a  little  north  and 
nearly  in  front  of  B.  F.  Ransom's  livery  stable. 
It,  with  the  building  next  south  of  it,  and  the 
building  south  of  the  United  States  Hotel,  on 
the  southeast  corner  of  Cottage  Grove  Avenue 

^Since  the  text  was  written,  Mr.  Charles  Cook, 
who,  as  boss-carpenter,  erected  the  buildings  at 
Camp  Douglas,  has  brought  me  a  survey  of  the 
camp,  on  which  the  west  line  is  Calumet  Avenue. 
But  as  Messrs.  Shurley,  Goodman.  Roddin,  and 
Colonel  Pierce  all  agree  that  Forest  A%'enuc  was  the 
west  line,  I  prefer  to  let  the  description  stand;  and, 
as  the  survey  has  no  date  attached,  it  may  be  in- 
ferred that  the  camp  was  afterward  extended  to 
Forest  Avenue  to  afford  more  room  for  the  barracks 
of  the  rebel  prisoners. 

1 66 


i^i^torp  of  Camp  SDougla^ 

and  Thirty-first  Street,  are  a  part  of  the  build- 
ings once  located  within  the  camp.  The  fence 
was  a  substantial  wood  structure,  some  twelve 
feet  high,  with  a  walk  around  it  on  the  inside, 
some  four  feet  below  the  top,  for  the  sentinels 
to  go  their  rounds.  This  walk  or  parapet 
commenced  at  the  entrance  on  Cottage  Grove 
Avenue,  and  extended  all  around  the  camp. 
The  northeast  part  of  the  camp  was  occupied 
by  the  barracks  of  the  troops  and  officers' 
quarters. 

Camp  Douglas  was  named  for  Senator 
Douglas,  who  gave  the  grounds  for  the 
University,  and  whose  dust  reposes  on  the  lake 
shore  near  it.  In  your  behalf  and  that  of  the 
people  of  the  State,  I  had  the  honor  to  sign 
the  bill  that  appropriated  the  money  from  the 
State  Treasury  to  purchase  that  acre  from  his 
widow,  and  on  which  an  appropriate  monument 
is  soon  to  perpetuate  his  memory.  Camp 
Douglas  was  built  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
summer  of  1861,  by  Colonel  Joseph  H.  Tucker, 
who  had  been  ordered  by  Governor  Yates  to 
take  command  of  the  northern  district  of  the 
State.  It  was  at  first  intended  to  use  it  for  the 
troops  raised  in  this  part  of  the  State,  as  a 
camp  of  instruction  and  rendezvous,  but 
Captain  Christopher,  United  States  recruiting 
officer  then  stationed  in  the  city,  assumed  the  cost 
of  its  construction,  and  it  was  turned  over  to 
the  general  government.  Immediately  after 
the  capture  of  Fort  Donelson,  in  February,  1862 
167 


iXcminijeJcmcc^  of  Cl)icago 

Colonel  Tucker  was  ordered  to  prepare  for  the 
reception  of  the  rebels  taken  there  and  in  some 
other  engagements,  and  in  a  few  days  between 
eight  and  nine  thousand  prisoners  arrived  in 
camp.  Near  the  close  of  the  month  Colonel 
Tucker  was  superseded  by  Colonel  Mulligan, 
who  there  organized  his  Irish  brigade.  In  June, 
Colonel  Tucker  was  ordered  to  take  command 
of  the  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  and  again  took 
charge  of  the  camp.  During  the  summer  and 
fall  a  large  number  of  our  own  paroled  men, 
captured  at  Harper's  Ferry  and  other  places, 
among  them  Captain  Goodman,  arrived  in 
camp,  and  on  the  last  day  of  September, 
General  Tyler  was  placed  in  command.  His 
rule  was  severe  and  unpopular  and  the  cause 
of  much  trouble  and  ill  feeling.  In  the  fall  of 
1862,  General  Tyler  was  superseded  by  General 
Ammon;  our  troops  that  had  been  paroled  at 
Harper's  Ferry  were  exchanged,  and  nearly  all 
of  them  left  for  the  front,  and  their  place  was 
supplied  by  a  camp  full  of  rebel  prisoners. 
Coming,  many  of  them,  from  the  far  South, 
they  suffered  severely  from  the  inclem- 
ency of  our  winter.  Of  course,  in  spite  of  all 
that  the  officers  of  the  camp,  and  a  self- 
appointed  detachment  of  our  benevolent  ladies, 
could  do,  large  numbers  died,  and  what  was  due 
to  the  rigor  of  the  climate  was  charged,  by  the 
malignant  Copperheads,  to  the  neglect  and  the 
cruelty  of  our  people.  But  it  is  a  fact,  for  the 
truth  of  which  I  appeal  to  thousands  of  living 
168 


l^i^torp  of  €amp  2DougIa^ 

men,  North  and  South,  that  the  prisoners,  all 
through  the  history  of  Camp  Douglas,  were 
treated  precisely  as  our  own  soldiers.  They 
had  full  rations  of  the  best  of  food,  and  the 
sick  had  all  that  the  most  skillful  physicians 
and  the  most  careful  nursing  could  do  for  them. 
Captain  Shurley  relates  that,  while  on  duty  at 
Richmond,  after  the  war,  he  was  recognized  by 
some  of  his  former  prisoners,  and  so  grateful 
were  they  fortheir  kind  treatment  while  here, that 
they  gave  him  a  splendid  dinner,  and  treated 
him  with  all  possible  attention  and  politeness. 
I  forbear  to  draw  a  parallel  between  the  treat- 
ment the  rebels  received  and  the  systematic 
cruelty  and  starvation,  even  to  death,  which 
our  brave  boys  were  forced  to  suffer  in  the 
prison  pens  of  the  South.  Those  who  saw, 
as  I  did,  scores  of  mere  ghostly  skeletons 
returning  from  Salisbury  and  Andersonville,  in 
1864,  will  recoil  from  the  horrible  memory. 

The  winter  of  1862-63  was  an  eventful  one, 
and  many  were  the  men  who  passed  to  their 
long  homes  in  Camp  Douglas.  By  March, 
1863,  the  prisoners  had  nearly  all  been 
exchanged,  and  only  a  few  of  our  own  troops 
remained  as  a  guard  for  them.  Up  to  this 
time  at  least  30,000  troops  had  been  recruited, 
drilled,  organized,  and  equipped  at  Camp 
Douglas.  Professor  Colbert  enumerates  them 
as  follows:  Rock  Island  Regiment,  Nineteenth, 
Twenty-third,  Twenty-fourth,  Forty-second, 
Forty-fourth,  Forty-fifth,  Fifty-first,  Fifty- 
169 


^Hciiiini^cnicc^  of  Cfjicago 

third,  Fifty-fifth,  Fifty-sixth,  Fifty-seventh, 
Fifty-eighth,  Sixtieth,  Sixty-fifth,  or  Scotch 
Regiment;  Sixty-seventh,  Sixty-ninth,  Seventy- 
first,  Seventy-second,  or  First  Board  of  Trade; 
Eighty-eighth,  or  Second  Board  of  Trade; 
Eighty-ninth,  or  Railroad  Regiment;  Ninetieth, 
or  Irish  Legion;  Ninety-third,  One  Hundred 
and  Fifth,  One  Hundred  and  Thirteenth,  Van 
Arman's  Regiment,  and  the  Third  Board  of 
Trade  Regiment.  Of  infantry  companies, 
the  German  Guides  and  the  Lyman  Color 
Guard.  Cavalry:  Ninth,  Twelfth,  and  Thir- 
teenth Illinois.  Artillery:  First  Illinois,  Bou- 
ton's,  Bolton's,  Silversparre's,  Phillips', 
Ottawa,  Merchantile,  Elgin,  and  Board  of 
Trade  batteries.  Besides  this  immense  work 
as  a  camp  of  rendezvous  and  instruction,  some 
17,000  rebel  prisoners  and  8,000  of  our  own 
paroled  troops  had  all  been  cared  for  in  and 
about  Camp  Douglas  in  the  short  space  of 
about  eighteen  months.  This  shows  what  the 
sternly  loyal  city  of  Chicago  and  the  great 
Northwest  were  ready  and  willing  to  do  to 
rescue  the  rcputilic  from  treason  and  rebellion. 
I  said  these  troops  were  cared  for  in  and  about 
Camp  Douglas,  for  it  will  be  remembered  at 
times  the  section  west  of  the  camp  and  nearly 
to  State  Street  and  south,  far  away  toward 
Hyde  Park,  were  covered  with  camps  and  open 
spaces  for  drilling  the  troops. 

Activity  again  was  the  order  of  the  day  during 
the  last  half  of  the  year  1863,  for  some  5,000 
170 


l^i^torp  of  Camp  SDougla^ 

rebel  soldiers  arrived  in  camp;  General  Ammon 
was  ordered  to  Springfield,  and  Colonel  De 
Land,  of  the  First  Michigan  Sharpshooters, 
was  made  post  commandant  under  General 
Orme.  During  the  winter  of  1863-64,  the  usual 
incidents  of  camp  life  occurred.  Colonel  De 
Land  ordered  a  substantial  fence  built,  the  one 
heretofore  described,  several  new  buildings 
were  erected,  and  the  camp  was  improved  in 
all  respects.  These  important  improvements 
were  made  under  Captain  Charles  Goodman,  his 
assistant.  Captain  E.  V.  Roddin,  having  the 
immediate  charge  of  the  work.  On  the  2d 
of  May,  1864,  General  Orme  resigned,  and 
General  B.  J.  Sweet  assumed  the  command, 
his  headquarters  being  on  Washington  Street, 
in  the  city.  Colonel  James  Strong  had  the 
immediate  command  for  a  time,  under  General 
Sweet,  but  about  the  middle  of  July,  General 
Sweet  removed  to  camp  and  took  personal 
command,  as  the  exigencies  seemed  to  require 
his  constant  presence.  He  ordered  the  pris- 
oners' barracks  to  be  raised  several  feet,  so  as 
to  render  it  impossible  for  them  to  dig  tunnels 
and  thus  escape;  their  quarters  were  enlarged; 
additional  hospitals  and  buildings  for  stores 
and  equipments  were  erected,  and  in  all  respects 
the  accommodations  for  troops  and  prisoners 
were  greatly  enlarged  and  improved.  Two 
regiments,  the  Eighth  and  Fifteenth,  of  the 
Veteran  Reserves  —  only  about  1,000  men, 
were  all  the  troops  General  Sweet  had  to  guard 
171 


Jitcminiscnicc^  of  Cljicago 

his  prisoners  —  every  available  man  had  been 
sent  to  the  front;  but  just  before  the  assem- 
bling of  the  Democratic  Convention,  on  Mon- 
day, July  29th,  he  was  reinforced  by  the  One 
Hundredth  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  ninety  day 
troops,  and  the  Twenty-fourth  Ohio  Battery. 
They  were  supplied  with  the  best  of  Parrott 
guns,  and  were  kept  as  a  reserve  in  case  of 
emergency. 

At  the  commencement  of  1864,  there  were 
some  5,000  rebel  prisoners  in  camp,  and  about 
7,500  were  received  during  the  year,  and  there 
were  probably  from  ten  to  twelve  thousand 
there  during  the  incidents  I  am  about  to  de- 
scribe. With  this  very  inadequate  force,  had 
it  not  been  for  the  marked  ability  of  General 
Sweet  and  his  sleepless  vigilance,  your  humble 
servant  and  hundreds  of  other  citizens  would 
probably  have  lost  their  lives  in  the  burning 
and  massacres  that  would  have  followed  the 
breaking  out  of  the  prisoners  from  Camp 
Douglas. 

In  the  spring  and  early  summer  of  1864  the 
whole  country  was  shrouded  in  gloom.  For 
more  than  three  years  the  war  had  been  raging, 
and  yet  the  rebellion  seemed  still  strong  and 
vigorous  and  likely  to  require  years  of  hard 
fighting  before  it  could  be  put  down,  if  in  fact 
so  desirable  a  result  could  ever  be  achieved. 
Even  brave  hearts  quailed  when  thinking  upon 
the  tens  of  thousands  of  noble  patriots  who 
had  fallen  before  the  serried  hosts  of  the 
172 


l^i^torp  of  €amp  2Dougla^ 


rebellion,  or  were  wasting  slowly  away  amid 
tortures  worse  than  death,  in  rebel  prison  dens. 
On  every  street  could  be  seen  strong  men, 
known  to  all  of  us,  with  an  empty  sleeve,  or 
hobbling  along  on  crutches;  and  orphans  and 
woe-stricken  women  in  sable  garments  met  us 
at  every  turn.  Foreign  nations  were  losing 
confidence  in  our  cause.  Lord  Bulwer  had 
declared  in  the  English  Parliament  that  it  was 
for  the  interest  of  humanity  that  America 
should  be  divided  into  at  least  four  separate 
States,  for  if  the  country  remained  united,  "in 
a  century  hence  it  would  contain  two  hundred 
millions  of  people  hanging  like  a  dark  cloud 
upon  the  civilization  of  the  world."  The 
credit  of  the  nation  was  about  gone,  for  in 
July,  gold  rose  to  285,  making  the  greenback, 
and  therefore  the  credit  of  the  government, 
worth  only  thirty-five  cents  on  the  dollar. 
Some  enthusiasm  followed  the  renomination  of 
Mr.  Lincoln,  in  June,  at  Baltimore,  but  our 
armies  were  not  generally  successful,  and  a 
darker  pall  of  gloom  settled  down  upon  the 
country.  On  the  30th  of  July,  the  mine  at 
Petersburg  was  exploded,  and  in  it  Chicago 
lost  Colonel  John  A.  Bross,  and  most  of  his 
officers,  who  were  selected  from  the  noblest 
and  best  young  men  of  the  city.  Washington 
did  not  escape  the  general  despondency.  On 
my  way  to  the  front  to  seek  the  body  of  my 
lost  brother,  early  in  the  morning  before  any 
one  else,  I  called  on  Mr.  Lincoln.     His  table 


i^miinijBfccnce^  of  €f)icago 

was  covered  with  reports  and  bundles  of  docu- 
ments over  which  he  was  poring;  but  he 
received  me  most  cordially  and  asked  anxiously 
for  news  from  the  West.  I  told  him  the 
people  were  patriotic  and  determined  as  ever; 
but  it  could  not  be  denied  that  they  were 
anxious  and  earnest  for  a  more  vigorous  prose- 
cution of  the  war.  "Well,"  said  Mr.  Lincoln, 
sadly,  "they  want  success  and  they  haven't 
got  it;  but  we  are  all  doing  the  best  we  can. 
For  my  part  I  shall  stay  right  here  and  do  my 
duty.  Traitors  will  find  me  at  my  table. 
They  can  come  and  hang  me  to  that  tree  if 
they  like,"  pointing  with  his  long  skinny  finger 
to  the  maple  at  his  window. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  the  country  when 
the  Democratic  convention  assembled  in  this 
city  on  Monday,  August  29th,  1864.  It  had 
been  postponed  from  July  4th,  in  order  that 
the  plottings  of  the  Copperhead  portion  of  it 
might  be  the  better  matured.  The  gloom  that 
pervaded  the  whole  country  was  especially  thick 
and  murky  in  Chicago.  The  Knights  of  the 
Golden  Circle  and  the  Copperheads  of  every 
stripe  and  hue  were  decidedly  active  and 
venomous.  Whisperings  of  blood  running 
through  the  streets  ankle  deep,  and  lamp 
posts  bearing  black  Republican  fruit,  were  in 
the  air.  Canada  was  swarming  with  rebel 
officers  who  in  twenty-four  hours  could  be 
in  the  city,  and  it  was  believed  that  many 
were  here  ready  to  take  command  of  the 
174 


l^tj^torp  of  Camp  2r>ougla^ 

rebel    prisoners    at    Camp    Douglas    at    any 
moment. 1 

It  is  in  times  like  these  that  strong  men  and 
patriots  step  forward  to  save  their  countrymen 

^In  confirmation  of  this,  Captain  Shurley,  in  a 
note  to  me,  dated  June  3d,  says: — 

"At  one  time  we  had  22,000  prisoners  there,  and 
only  a  few  hundred  men  for  duty  at  the  time  the 
conspiracy  was  brewing.  It  was  impossible  to  get 
reinforcements,  notwithstanding  General  Sweet's 
urgent  appeals.  I  must  say  at  this  time,  and  after 
these  years  have  elapsed,  that  the  city  of  Chicago 
does  not  know  what  she  owes  to  General  Sweet. 

"I  released  the  remaining  prisoners  of  war,  and 
after  General  Sweet,  I  was  the  last  commanding 
officer  of  that  camp  —  thirteen  years  ago.  After  I 
had  paroled  some  of  the  most  intelligent,  I  questioned 
them  in  reference  to  the  "conspiracy";  they  told 
me  that  they  were  divided  into  companies,  regiments, 
and  brigades,  and  confidently  expected  officers  from 
the  South  to  command  them,  and  the  intention  was 
to  destroy  Chicago  after  securing  all  the  arms, 
horses,  and  whatever  would  be  useful  in  the  prose- 
cution of  their  war.  There  is  no  question  that  IJut  for 
the  energy,  forethought,  and  ability  of  General  Sweet, 
and  the  manner  m  which  he  was  sustained  by  General 
Hooker,  serious  consequences  might  have  ensued. 
The  question  is  often  asked  me.  Was  there  really  a 
conspiracy  for  that  purpose  —  to  burn  Chicago  and 
other  western  towns.'  All  the  papers  passed  through 
my  hands.  The  reports  of  the  spies  out,  what  tran- 
spired at  the  sessions  held  by  the  Knights  of  the 
Golden  Circle  and  other  kindred  organizations  in 
this  city,  all  make  me  sure  there  was  such  a  con- 
spiracy. But  history  should  do  justice  to  one  who 
was  arrested  at  that  time;  I  refer  to  Judge  Buckner 
S.  Morris.  He  was  entirely  innocent  of  any  such 
attempt,  although  arrested  and  held  in  camp." 

175 


iUcminij^ccncejtf  of  Cljtcago 

from  pillage  and  massacre.  General  Sweet 
proved  himself  the  man  for  the  hour.  Perhaps 
two  weeks  before  the  Convention  assembled, 
I  was  standing  near  the  Journal  office,  then 
in  front  of  the  Tremont  House,  when  a  friend 
said  to  me,  "Do  you  know  there  are  ten  thou- 
sand stands  of  arms  secreted  in  cellars  and 
basements  within  four  blocks  of  us?"  I  said, 
"I  presume  the  rebels  have  that  many  hid  in 
different  parts  of  the  city."  During  the  after- 
noon several  similar  stories  were  told  me  by 
others,  and  in  the  morning,  thinking  General 
Sweet  should  know  them,  I  called  on  him  at 
Camp  Douglas.  He  listened  to  the  facts  and 
suspicions  I  narrated,  with  great  attention;  said 
he  would  investigate  them  and  call  at  my  office 
the  next  clay  at  eleven  o'clock.  I  had  previ- 
ously, if  any,  a  mere  casual  acquaintance  with 
General  Sweet,  but  his  close  attention  and 
careful  analysis  of  the  facts  I  had  given  him 
gave  me  great  confidence  in  his  ability  and 
fitness  for  the  important  post  he  occupied. 
He  called  promptly  as  appointed  and  I  found 
his  entire  detective  force  had  been  busy  all 
night  searching  the  city  through;  that  he  had 
verified  some  of  our  suspicions,  and  got  track 
of  many  more.  He  had,  subsequently,  trusty 
men  in  every  Golden  Circle  of  the  Knights,  and 
by  ten  o'clock  next  day  he  knew  what  had 
occurred,  and  the  plans  that  were  made  all 
over  the  city.  Almost  every  leading  rebel  that 
arrived  from  the  South  or  from  Canada  was 
176 


l^ijetorp  of  Camjj  SDougla^^ 

spotted  and  tracked  to  his  den  and  could  not 
move,  even  for  the  most  trivial  purpose  if  a 
leading  man,  but  sharp  loyal  eyes  were  upon 
him.  For  a  week  or  more  I  saw  General 
Sweet  frequently,  and  I  found  that  his  detec- 
tives tracked  like  sleuth-hounds  every  scent  and 
rumor  to  its  source,  and  his  plans  and  the  way 
he  carried  them  out  filled  my  highest  ideal  of 
the  ability  needed  to  cope  with  his  adversaries, 
and  I  therefore  soon  gave  the  matter  little 
further  care  and  attention.  On  Saturday, 
August  26th,  the  Democratic  politicians,  many 
of  them  very  respectable  gentlemen,  with  their 
blowers  and  strikers,  began  to  arrive.  As  day 
after  day  passed,  the  crowd  increased  till  the 
whole  city  seemed  alive  with  a  motley  crew 
of  big-shouldered,  blear-eyed,  bottle-nosed, 
whisky-blotched  vagabonds  —  the  very  excres- 
cence and  sweepings  of  the  slums  and  sinks  of 
all  the  cities  in  the  nation.  I  sat  often  at  my 
window  on  Michigan  Avenue,  and  saw  the  filthy 
stream  of  degraded  humanity  swagger  along  to 
the  wigwam  on  the  lake  shore  and  wondered  how 
the  city  could  be  saved  from  burning  and 
plunder,  and  our  wives  and  daughters  from  a 
far  more  dreadful  fate.  Many  besides  myself 
would  have  been  in  despair  had  we  not  trusted 
in  the  good  providence  of  God,  General  Sweet, 
and  the  brave  boys  under  him.  We  knew 
that  he  had  small  squads  of  men  with  signs 
and  passwords  in  all  the  alleys  in  the  central 
portions  of  the  city  ready  to  concentrate  at  the 
177 


Il!niiiiu^cnicej6f  of  €l)icago 

point  of  danger  at  any  moment.  But  the  city 
had  anotlier  and  an  efficient  source  of  safety 
of  which  many  of  our  people  even  at  this  day 
have  not  tlie  shghtest  Icnowledge.  It  was  a 
matter  of  wonder  then,  and  perhaps  has  been 
ever  since,  how  such  a  horde  of  cut-throats 
and  bloated,  beastly  vagabonds,  spoiling  for 
free  whisky  and  a  free  fight,  could  have  been 
kept  in  perfect  order;  for  our  streets  under 
presence  of  so  many  people  were  never  more 
orderly,  and  in  its  doings  and  surroundings  the 
Democratic  convention  of  1864  was  as  quiet  and 
respectable  as  any  other  political  body  that 
ever  assembled  in  the  city.  This  fact  can  be 
best  understood  by  relating  an  incident. 

On  my  way  to  my  office  early  on  Monday, 
calling  in  a  store  on  Clark  Street,  a  friend  said 
to  me,  "Do  you  know  the  danger  we  have 
escaped?"  Feigning  ignorance,  I  asked  what. 
He  said,  "A  young  gentleman  from  Kentucky, 
a  warm  friend  of  mine,  came  in  on  Friday 
morning,  and  in  a  whisper,  incjuired  anxiously 
if  my  family  were  in  the  city;  for  if  they  are," 
said  he,  "by  all  means  as  you  love  them,  send 
them  to  the  country  this  afternoon.  Look  for 
horrid  times  within  the  next  three  days  —  the 
Devil  will  be  to  pay."  Fie  was  greatly  re- 
lieved when  I  told  him  thev  were  already  in 
the  comitry,  and  w'ould  stay  for  several  days. 
As  he  left  he  saitl,  "For  mv  sake,  keep  mum 
and  take  good  care  of  yourself."  This  morn- 
ing he  came  in,  every  feature  beaming  with 
178 


l^ij^torp  of  €anip  SDougla.i^ 

pleasure,  and  said:  "We're  all  safe;  the  New 
York  politicians,  Dean  Richmond,  Seymour, 
Tilden,  and  the  rest,  arrived  Saturday  and  yes- 
terday morning;  they  caucused  all  day  yester- 
day, and  last  night  they  put  down  their  foot 
and  declared  if  there  were  any  riots  or  disturb- 
ance it  would  ruin  the  Democratic  party;  they 
might  as  well  go  home,  for  the  cause  would  be 
lost  and  they  would  be  beaten  out  of  sight  at 
the  polls,  and  orders  were  accordingly  given  to 
the  clans  and  messes."  And  said  he,  "In 
spite  of  the  hordes  of  brutal  wretches  you  see 
everywhere,  this  will  be  the  most  orderly  con- 
vention you  ever  saw."  So  it  was,  and  that 
the  orders  were  imperative  and  well  understood 
is  well  illustrated  by  another  pertinent  incident. 
Henry  M.  Smith  was  at  the  time  in  the  edito- 
rial department  of  the  Tribune.  He  was 
standing  at  the  entrance,  45  Clark  Street,  on 
Monday  afternoon,  I  think  it  was,  when  he 
noticed  two  big  bullies  watching  him  and  the 
boys  who  every  few  minutes  darted  out  with  a 
package  of  documents  which  they  distributed 
freely  to  all  who  would  take  them.  Glancing 
over  the  pamphlet,  they  saw  it  contained  a 
sharp,  searching  war  record  of  their  party,  and 
came  across  the  street  and  asked  Smith  if  he 
belonged  to  the  Tribune  office.  Answering  that 
he  did,  they  ordered  him,  with  words  and 
adjectives  far  more  expressive  and  profane 
than  polite,  to  stop  sending  out  such  lying 
stuff.  Quick  as  lightning  the  plucky  little 
179 


liteminii^ccnce^  of  CI)ica0o 

editor  struck  the  brute  with  all  his  might 
square  on  his  nose,  and  the  rebel  blood  spurted 
in  all  directions.  Either  of  the  men  might 
have  crushed  the  life  out  of  Smith  in  a 
moment,  but  they  did  not.  They  knew  they 
must  obey  their  orders,  and  that  there  must 
be  no  rows,  and  quietly  pocketing  the  insult 
they  walked  toward  the  Sherman  House.  In 
a  few  moments  after,  they  were  arrested  and 
lodged  in  jail,  and  then  I  expected  an  attempt 
to  rescue  them  every  hour  by  the  abominable 
rabble  in  the  city,  but  they  obeyed  orders,  and 
left  their  friends  to  their  fate.  In  the  evening 
or  early  morning  they  were  let  out  on  their  own 
recognizance  and  that  was  the  end  of  the 
matter.  In  the  light  of  what  followed,  it  is 
a  fair  inference  that,  in  commanding  and 
keeping  the  peace,  the  wily  New  York  politi- 
cians had  not  only  an  eye  upon  the  election 
to  be  held  in  November,  but  a  wholesome 
regard  for  their  own  safety;  for  it  is  not 
unlikely  their  friends  and  detectives  had  pretty 
accurate  knowledge  of  the  arrangements  Gen- 
eral Sweet  had  made  to  give  their  crowd  of 
bloated  wretches  a  very  lively  time  of  it;  and 
in  this  sternly  loyal  city,  should  an  ennitc 
occur,  their  own  precious  skins  might  be  very 
uncomfortably  punctured.  Their  villainous 
schemes  took  a  wider  range,  and  likely  to  do 
the  rebellion  far  better  service,  for  from  their 
wigwam  on  the  lake  shore  they  planned  and 
got  up  a  tremendous  fire  in  the  rear. 


IJi^torp  of  Camp  SDouglai^ 

By  resolving  "that  after  four  years  of 
failure  to  restore  the  Union  by  the  experiment 
of  war,  during  which,  under  the  pretense  of  a 
military  necessity,  or  war  power,  higher  than 
the  Constitution,  the  Constitution  itself  has 
been  disregarded  in  every  part,  and  public 
liberty  and  private  right  alike  trodden  down, 
and  the  material  prosperity  of  the  country 
essentially  impaired,  justice,  humanity,  and  the 
public  welfare  demand  that  immediate  efforts 
be  made  for  the  cessation  of  hostilities";  and 
this  "fire  in  the  rear"  they  knew  they  could 
keep  up  among  the  people  with  perfect  safety 
to  each  party  hack,  with  great  advantage  to 
the  rebels  till  after  the  November  election. 
Thus  they  insulted  the  patriotism  of  the  nation, 
polluted  the  breezes  and  defiled  the  pure  waters 
of  Lake  Michigan,  by  blurting  out  their  blatant 
treason  in  the  face  of  high  Heaven.  The 
loyal  men  of  the  nation  accepted  the  gauge  of 
battle,  and  the  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln  and  the 
indorsement  of  his  policy  to  put  down  the 
rebellion  is  one  of  the  most  important  and 
glorious  events  in  the  history  of  this  republic. 

During  the  months  of  September  and  Octo- 
ber the  nation  trembled  as  by  an  earthquake 
from  the  center  to  circumference.  The  war 
of  words  in  the  rail  cars,  on  the  streets,  from 
the  stump — in  fact,  everywhere  in  the  loyal 
states — was  loud,  bitter,  relentless,  and  unceas- 
ing. Sherman  was  fighting  his  way,  inch  by 
inch,  toward  Atlanta;  Grant  was  pounding 
i8i 


iUcmhu^ccttcc^  of  €f)ica0o 

away  in  the  wilderness,  and  it  required  all  the 
energy  of  Secretary  Stanton,  a  war  minister 
whose  place  in  history  has  scarcely  ever  been 
equaled,  to  fill  up  the  ranks,  decimated  before 
the  rebel  intrenchments.  In  its  desperation, 
the  Genius  of  the  rebellion  seemed  more 
active,  malignant,  and  fiendish  than  ever. 
Plans  to  burn  all  the  leading  cities  of  the 
North  and  to  scatter  infectious  and  deadly 
diseases  throughout  the  loyal  States  were  care- 
fully and  earnestly  discussed  among  the  chiefs 
of  the  Confederacy.! 

Richmond,  February  ii,  1865. 
His  Excellkxcy,  Presiukxt  Davis, 

President  C.  S.  A. 

Sir:  When  Senator  Johnson,  of  Missouri,  and 
myself  waited  on  you  a  few  days  since  in  relation  to 
the  prospect  of  annoying  and  harassing  the  enemy 
by  means  of  burning  their  shipping,  towns,  etc. ,  there 
were  several  remarks  made  by  you  upon  the  subject 
that  I  was  not  fully  prepared  to  answer,  but  which, 
upon  subsequent  conference  with  parties  proposing 
the  enterprise,  I  find  cannot  apply  as  objections  to 
the  scheme.  The  combustible  materials  consist  of 
several  preparations,  and  not  one  alone,  and  can  be 
used  without  exposing  the  party  using  them  to  the 
least  danger  of  detection  whatever.  The  preparations 
are  not  in  the  hands  of  McDaniel,  but  are  in  the 
hands  of  Professor  McCullough,  and  are  known  but 
to  him  and  one  other  party,  as  I  understand. 

'This  discussion  was  kept  up  through  the  winter 
of  1864  65,  as  the  following  letter  will  show.  I  am 
indebted  to  Captain  Shurley  for  the  privilege  of 
publishing  it.  He  saw  the  original  before  it  was  sent 
to  Washington,  and  vouches  for  its  accuracy. 


l^i-^torp  of  Camp  SDougla^ 

There  is  no  necessity  for  sending  persons  in  the 
military  service  into  the  enemy's  country,  but  the 
work  may  be  done  by  agents,  and  in  most  cases  by 
persons  ignorant  of  the  facts,  and  therefore  innocent 
agents. 

I  have  seen  enough  of  the  effects  that  can  be 
produced  to  satisfy  me  that  in  most  cases,  without 
any  danger  to  the  parties  engaged,  and  in  others  but 
very  slight,  we  can  (l)  burn  every  vessel  that 
leaves  a  foreign  port  for  the  United  States.  (2)  We 
can  burn  every  transport  that  leaves  the  harbor  of 
New  York,  or  other  Northern  port,  with  supplies  for 
the  armies  of  the  enemy  in  the  South.  (3)  Burn 
every  transport  and  gunboat  on  the  Mississippi  River, 
as  well  as  devastate  the  country  of  the  enemy,  and 
fill  his  people  with  terror  and  consternation.  I  am 
not  alone  of  the  opinion,  but  many  other  gentlemen 
are  as  fully  and  thoroughly  impressed  with  the  con- 
viction as  I  am.  I  believe  we  have  the  means  at  our 
command,  if  promptly  appropriated  and  energetically 
applied,  to  demoralize  the  Northern  people  m  a  very 
short  time.  For  the  purpose  of  satisfying  your  mind 
upon  the  subject,  I  respectfully  but  earnestly  request 
that  you  will  have  an  interview  with  General  Harris, 
formerly  a  member  of  Congress  from  Missouri,  who, 
I  think,  IS  able  by  conclusive  proof  to  convince  you 
that  what  I  have  suggested  is  perfectly  feasible  and 
practicable. 

The  deep  interest  I  feel  for  our  cause  in  this 
struggle,  and  the  convictions  of  the  importance  of 
availing  ourselves  of  every  element  of  defense,  must 
be  my  excuse  for  writing  you  and  requesting  to 
invite  General  Harris  to  see  you.     If  you  should  see 

E roper  to  do  so,  please  signify  to  him  when  it  will 
e  convenient  for  you  to  see  him. 
I  am,  very  respectfully,  your  ob'dt  serv't, 

[Signed]         W.  S.  Oldham. 
It  has  the  following  indorsement: 
Secretary  of   State,  at   his   earliest   convenience, 
will  please  see  General  Harris,  and  learn  what  plan 

183 


Jltmuni^ceiifc^  of  Ctjirago 

he    has    for    overcoming    the    difficuhy    heretofore 
experienced.  [Signed]         J.  D. 

February  20,  1865. 

Rec'd  Feb.  19,  1865. 

In  the  loyal  states,  and  in  our  own  city 
especially,  venomous  Copperheads  kept  up 
their  warfare  to  the  very  last  week  of  the 
canvass.  They  were  bent  on  letting  loose  the 
ten  thousand  prisoners  in  Camp  Douglas,  that 
they  might  burn  and  destroy  the  city,  and  thus 
prevent  an  election  here.i     And  besides,  they 

^An  attempt  was  actually  made  to  break  out.  In 
a  note  to  me,  Captain  Shurley  says:  — 

"In  October.  1864,  one  of  the  prisoners  requested 
an  inte;;vicw  with  the  commandant  of  the  post, 
General  Sweet.  The  message  was  sent  to  head- 
quarters. In  the  absence  of  General  Sweet,  I  ordered 
the  prisoner  sent  to  my  office.  He  told  me  that  for 
some  time  there  had  been  an  organization  amongst 
the  prisoners  of  war  to  break  out  of  the  prison 
square  -  and  that  one  hundred  men  had  taken  an 
obligation  to  lead  the  way,  to  break  the  fence,  attack 
the  guard  in  rear  of  camp,  and  in  the  confusion  that 
would  ensue,  the  11,000  prisoners  then  in  charge 
would  escape.  He  said  that  at  eight  that  evening 
was  the  time  appointed  -this  was  about  6  p.m. 
that  the  interview  mentioned  took  place.  It  was  a 
cloudy  evening,  and  dark — looking  like  rain.  After 
dismissing  the  prisoner,  I  started  for  the  prison 
square.  The  officer  in  charge  told  me  there  seemed 
to  be  an  imusual  activity  among  the  prisoners  — 
advised  me  not  to  go  round  without  a  guard.  This, 
I  knew,  would  attract  attention,  if  not  suspicion. 
At  this  time  the  barracks  occupied  by  the  prisoners 
were  in  rows  raised  on  posts,  and  each  barrack  con- 
tained from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred 
men.  I  noticed  there  was  an  unusual  stir  among  the 
184 


l^te'torii  of  €amp  SDougto 

had  lists  of  scores  of  our  leading  citizens  whose 
property  and  Hves  could  alone  atone  for  the 
loyal  part  they  had  acted  throughout  the  war. 
General  Sweet  and  his  brave  officers  at  Camp 
Douglas  were  equally  active  and  vigilant.  The 
appointments  at  the  post  were  strengthened 
by  every  means  in  his  power,  so  that  as  small  a 
force  as  jiossible  might  safely  guard  the 
prisoners,   and   that    a   large    detail    might    be 

prisoners  in  the  barracks.  After  conipletin<;  the 
tour,  I  returned  to  headquarters  satisfied  that  there 
might  be  truth  in  the  statement  of  my  "spy."  I  at 
once  sent  an  order  to  the  commanding  ofiicer  of  tlie 
Eighth  regiment  to  take  post  on  the  soutli  antl  west 
of  the  camp.  I  ordered  the  Pennsylvania  regiment 
on  the  rear  of  that,  and  around  it.  I  had  notified  the 
officer  in  command  of  the  guard  of  what  might  be 
expected,  at  the  same  time  had  strengthened  the 
guard  by  turning  out  the  other  two  reliefs.  The  rain 
began  to  fall,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  camp  was 
unusually  quiet.  The  disposition  of  the  troops  had 
been  made  so  quietly  that  the  prisoners  had  not  sus- 
pected it.  I  greatly  regretted  the  absence  of  (General 
Sweet;  he  had  been  summoned  to  Wisconsin,  but  I 
carried  out  his  plan  to  the  best  of  my  ability.  Eight 
o'clock  had  scarcely  sounded,  when  <-)ash!  went  some 
of  the  planks  from  the  rear  fence,  and  the  one 
hundred  men  rushed  for  the  opening.  One  volley 
from  the  guard,  who  were  prepared  for  them,  and 
the  prisoners  recoiled,  gave  up,  and  retreated  to  their 
barracks,  l^ighteen  of  the  most  determined  got  out, 
but  in  less  time  than  I  can  relate  it,  quiet  was 
restored.  I  had  the  I'ennsylvania  regiment  gradually 
close  in  from  the  outer  circle  of  the  race  course  to 
the  camp,  and  recaptured  all  of  those  that  had 
escaped.  I  think  eight  or  ten  were  wounded,  but 
they  gradually  recovered." 

185 


iJlcmmijefccttCf^  of  Cljicago 

spared  to  station  in  the  city  at  the  time  of 
election.  Detectives  were  kept  intensely  busy 
to  watch  every  suspicious  character  that 
arrived  by  the  cars,  and  some  were  sent  to 
Canada  to  learn  from  officers  there  what 
villainous  schemes  they  were  plotting  for  the 
destruction  of  Chicago. i  Others  went  to  the 
virulent  Copperhead  districts  in  central  and 
southern  Illinois  and  found  that  large  detach- 
ments were  to  be  sent  here,  ready  for  carnage 
and  plunder,  should  the  prisoners  break  out, 
and  in  any  event  to  vote  early  and  often  in  the 
infected  sections  of  the  city.  Hence,  on  the 
Saturday  before  the  election  —  Tuesday,  the 
8th  of  November  —  General  Sweet  knew  where 

'In  a  note  to  me  dated  June  3d,  Captain  Shurley 
says : — 

"One  thing  history  will  bear  out:  that  during  the 
the  administration  of  General  Sweet  the  prisoners  of 
war  were  treated  as  well  as  it  was  possible  to  treat  men 
in  their  situation.  Of  course,  the  very  fact  of  con- 
finement is  a  hardship-  but  the  Government  furnished 
good  clothing  and  provisions,  and  allowed  a  sufficient 
quantity.      I     have    read     extracts    from    Southern 

fapers  citing  the  number  that  died  at  Camp  Douglas, 
account  for  this  by  the  fact  that  many  of  the 
prisoners  received  at  that  camp  were  wounded  and 
sick  -  run  down  by  hard  service  — and  the  change  of 
climate  may  have  had  some  effect.  We  had  a  most 
admirable  hospital,  and  busy,  competent  surgeons. 
Dr.  Emmons,  of  this  city,  was  one  of  them.  I  know 
that  General  Sweet  left  that  command  poorer  than 
when  he  entered  it,  and  of  all  the  millions  he 
disbursed,  not  one  cent  entered  his  pocket — or  those 
around  him." 

186 


l^istorp  of  €amp  SDougla^ 

all  the  dens  of  the  Knights  of  the  Golden 
Circle  were,  and  what  was  going  on  in  them; 
what  rebel  gangs  were  expected  from  our  own 
State,  and  what  officers  were  expected  from 
Canada  to  lead  them  and  the  rebel  hordes  in 
Camp  Douglas  in  their  bloody  raid  upon  the 
city.  To  know  them  was  to  know  how  to  pro- 
vide against  and  defeat  them. 

But  to  be  more  specific:  At  first  it  was 
proposed  to  let  loose  the  prisoners  two  weeks 
earlier,  but  for  various  reasons  the  thing  was 
postponed  till  the  night  before  the  election. 
During  the  previous  week,  delegations  began 
to  arrive  from  Fayette  and  Christian  counties, 
in  this  State.  Bushwhackers  journeyed  north 
from  Missouri  and  Kentucky.  Some  came 
from  Indiana,  and  rebel  officers  from  Canada. 
But  so  perfectly  had  General  Sweet  made  him- 
self master  of  their  movements  that,  in  the 
early  morning  of  Monday,  he  arrested  Colonel 
G.  St.  Leger  Grenfell,  Morgan's  adjutant- 
general,  in  company  with  J.  T.  Shanks,  an 
escaped  prisoner  of  war,  at  the  Richmond 
House;  Colonel  Vincent  Marmaduke,  brother 
of  the  rebel  general  of  that  name;  Brigadier- 
General  Charles  Walsh,  of  the  Sons  of  Libertv; 
Captain  Cantrall,  of  Morgan's  command,  and 
others.  In  Walsh's  house,  General  Sweet's 
officers  captured  two  cartloads  of  large-sized 
revolvers,  loaded  and  capped,  and  two  hundred 
muskets  and  a  large  quantity  of  ammunition. 
In  his  official  report,  General  Sweet  says  most 
18; 


iHnninijBfcnice^  of  Cljtrago 

of  these  rebel  ofiicers  were  in  the  city  in 
August,  on  the  same  bloody  errand  that  brought 
them  here  when  arrested.  When  the  officers 
were  secured,  General  Sweet's  boys  turned 
their  attention  to  certain  parties  of  a  baser 
sort.  Twenty-seven  were  arrested  at  the  "Fort 
Donaldson  House," — a  base  misnomer,  of 
course,  —  all  well  armed;  another  lot  was  cap- 
tured on  North  Water  Street,  and  by  evening 
Camp  Douglas  had  an  accession  of  at  least  a 
hundred  of  these  wretches.  During  the  day 
the  "secesh"  sympathizers  telegraphed  their 
friends  in  the  central  and  southern  parts  of  the 
State  that  the  trap  had  been  sprung;  parties 
on  the  way  were  notified  of  the  fate  that 
awaited  them  here,  and  they  got  off  at  Wil- 
mington and  Joliet;  but  some  fifty  who  had 
missed  the  notice  arrived  on  Monday  evening, 
and  were  at  once  duly  honored  with  an  escort 
to  Camp  Douglas.  Some  of  these  visitors  had 
boasted  in  Vandalia,  on  their  way  here,  to 
intimate  friends,  that  "  they  would  hear  of  hell 
in  a  few  days,"  and  generally  they  were  of  the 
most  desperate  class  of  bushwhacking  vaga- 
bonds. 

The  plan,  as  derived  from  confessions  of 
the  rebel  officers  and  other  sources,  was  to 
attack  Camp  Douglas,  to  release  the  prisoners 
there,  with  them  to  seize  the  ])olls,  allowing 
none  but  the  Copperhead  ticket  to  be  voted, 
and  to  stuff  the  boxes  sufficiently  to  secure  the 
citv,  county,  and  State  for  McClellan  and 
1 88 


i^i^torp  of  Camp  Bougla^ 

Pendleton,  then  to  utterly  sack  the  city,  burn- 
ing and  destroying  every  description  of  property 
except  what  they  could  appropriate  to  their 
own  use  and  that  of  their  Southern  brethren — 
to  lay  the  city  waste  and  carry  off  its  money 
and  stores  to  Jeff  Davis's  dominions. 

Thanks  to  a  kind  Providence,  all  this  was 
averted,  and  the  day  after  the  arrests  were 
made,  November  8th,  the  leading  loyal  journal 
of  the  city  had  the  following  deserved  compli- 
ment to  General  Sweet: — 

The  praises  of  this  vigilant,  untiring  officer  are 
on  every  tongue.  Those  whose  homes  have  been 
saved  from  midnight  pillage  and  conflagration,  whose 
families  have  been  rescued  from  a  perfect  carnival 
of  horrors,  by  his  promptness  and  energy,  will  hold 
the  name  of  General  B.  J.  Sweet  in  everlasting 
gratitude.  When  the  story  of  this  hideous  con- 
spiracy to  let  loose  ten  thousand  cut-throats  upon  a 
defenseless  city  comes  to  be  written,  people  will  not 
only  appreciate  the  magnitude  of  the  danger  which 
has  been  averted  from  them  by  the  cool  head  and 
steady  nerve  of  one  man  comparatively  unknown  to 
them,  but  they  will  be  astonished  at  the  persever- 
ance and  skill  with  which  the  plot  has  been  ferreted 
out  and  the  ringleaders  tracked  to  their  cover. 

In  a  general  order,  dated  November  25th, 
General  Sweet  gives  the  numiber  of  men  under 
his  command  during  the  previous  eventful 
weeks  at  seven  hundred  and  ninety-six,  all  told, 
and  adds: — 

On  the  6th  of  November  this  garrison   and   the 
immense  interests  committed  to  its  care  in  this  camp, 
and   in  the   city  of    Chicago,   were    threatened    by 
i8q 


i!cmini^cciiccsf  of  Cljtcajo 

Southern  and  Northern  traitors  from  within  and 
without.  Added  duty  was  demanded  of  men  already 
worn.  Detachments  from  the  garrison,  and  heavy 
and  repeated  details  were  made,  with  scarcely  an 
interval  of  rest  allowed,  which,  if  not  done  from 
absolute  necessity,  would  have  been  cruel.  Officers 
and  enlisted  men  of  the  command  answered  each 
new  call  with  a  cheerful  alacrity  and  earnest  zeal 
which  commands  the  warmest  admiration.  Seldom 
have  so  few  men  been  charged  with  the  jjrotection 
of  interests  so  great — never  have  such  interests  been 
more  faithfully  guarded. 

Of  course  the  modest,  brave  man  who  di- 
rected all  these  movements  gives  no  hint  of  his 
own  exhaustive  labors  in  all  these  weeks  of 
danger.  He  not  only  attended  sharply  to  all 
his  duties  as  commander  of  the  post,  but  he 
organized  and  sent  out  scores  of  detectives  in 
all  directions;  he  scanned  their  reports  with  an 
eagle's  eye  and,  from  a  great  mass  of  isolated 
facts,  traced  out  the  plans  of  his  wily  enemies, 
their  location,  and  their  expected  part  in  the 
breaking  out  of  the  rebels  from  the  camp  and 
the  sacking  of  the  city  —  knowledge  of  all 
these  and  much  more  was  wrought  out  by  his 
sharp,  incisive  judgment  and  ceaseless  energy. 
As  I  had  given  him  the  lead  of  important  facts 
at  the  inception  of  the  conspiracy  in  August, 
he  did  me  the  honor  to  give  me  the  substance 
of  what  I  have  above  written,  except,  of 
course,  as  to  himself,  from  his  own  lips;  and 
all  that  I  have  said  of  this  villainous  rebel  plot 
is  more  than  confirmed  by  the  records  of  the 
subsequent  trials,  and  bv  articles  and  docu- 
190 


I^i^torp  of  Camp  SDougla^ef 

ments  published  during  the  progress  of  the 
events  which  I  have  but  too  briefly  described. 
May  it  not,  therefore,  safely  be  said  that 
Chicago  can  never  fully  appreciate,  certainly 
can  never  repay  to  his  family,  the  debt  of 
gratitude  she  owes  to  the  services  of  General 
Sweet?  Other  brave  men  fought  and  fell  in 
the  forefront  of  the  battle;  General  Sweet 
was  there,  and  ever  after  his  right  arm  hung 
useless  at  his  side.  Other  generals  rushed 
into  the  thickest  of  the  fight  when  towns  and 
cities  were  burning  around  them;  General 
Sweet  stood  firmly  and  quietly  at  his  post  and 
saved  Chicago  from  a  fate  equally  terrible  and 
destructive.  They  knew  that  the  lurid  glare 
would  flash  out  their  names  on  all  the  pages  of 
their  country's  history;  he  was  content  to  do 
his  duty,  to  save  his  fellow  citizens  from  death 
and  their  city  from  plunder  and  burning. 
Their  adversaries  were  in  the  front,  fighting 
openly  "man  to  man  and  brand  to  brand"; 
his  were  venomous  reptiles,  crawling  about  in 
dark  lanes  and  filthy  dens,  till  with  one  fell 
spring  the  loyal  city  should  be  laid  in  ashes, 
and  its  people  fleeing  in  terror  before  the 
bullets  and  the  swords  of  the  destroyer.  They 
fought  the  rebellion  with  all  the  weapons  of 
legitimate  warfare;  he  had  to  fight  secret 
treason  with  such  strategy  and  the  best  means 
that  his  own  genius  and  restless  energy  could 
invent.  Before  their  serried  ranks  the  rebel- 
lion was  consumed  in  a  blaze  of  glory;  General 
191 


lllcmmii^cnicc^  of  €l)icago 

Sweet's  wisdom  and  untiring  efforts  saved 
Chicago  to  rejoice  with  brave  men  and  sterling 
patriots  everywhere  over  a  country  saved,  a 
free,  united,  enduring  repubhc. 

The  subsequent  history  of  Camp  Douglas 
can  be  told  in  a  brief  space.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  Fortress  Monroe,  it  was  said  to  be  the 
largest  and  best  appointed  camp  in  the  United 
States.  More  than  30,000  prisoners  had  been 
housed  there,  and  large  numbers  were  confined 
there  during  the  winter  of  1864-65.  The 
spring  after  the  collapse  of  the  rebellion,  they 
were  gradually  discharged  and  furnished  with 
transportation  to  their  homes,  one  even  being 
sent  by  Captain  Shurley  to  San  Francisco. 
General  Sweet  resigned  at  the  commencement 
of  the  year,  and  Captain  Shurley  succeeded  as 
post  adjutant.  He  remained  in  charge  till 
October,  discharging  the  prisoners  and  attend- 
ing to  the  other  duties  incident  to  his  position. 
During  the  fall  of  1865  the  camp  was  disman- 
tled, and  the  property  sold  under  the  direction 
of  Colonel  L.  H.  Pierce. 

During  the  winter  previous  a  court  martial 
convened  at  Cincinnati,  and  the  officers  cap- 
tured in  November  were  duly  tried  for  their 
crimes.  Walsh,  general  of  the  Sons  of  Lib- 
erty, was  sentenced  to  state's  prison  with 
hard  labor  for  three  years;  Marmaduke  and 
Morris  were  accjuittcd;  Grcnfell  was  found 
guilty  of  conspiracv  to  release  the  prisoners 
from  Camp  Douglas  and  to  lay  waste  and 
192 


l^i^torp  of  Camp  SDougla^ 

destroy  Chicago,  and  was  sentenced  to  death; 
Semmes  was  sentenced  to  a  year  in  the  peni- 
tentiary, and  Anderson  shot  himself,  thus  sav- 
ing the  authorities  all  further  trouble  on  his 
account.  Fortunately  for  the  others,  the  rebel- 
lion was  crushed  out,  and  their  sentences  were 
in  due  time  remitted. 

A  few  words  more  in  relation  to  General 
Sweet:  After  he  was  mustered  out  of  the 
service  he  bought  a  small  farm  at  Wheaton, 
and  opened  a  law  office  in  this  city.  In  1869, 
he  was  appointed  United  States  pension  agent 
for  the  northern  district  of  Illinois,  office  at 
Chicago,  and  he  held  that  position  until  April, 
1870,  when  he  received  the  appointment  of 
supervisor  of  internal  revenue  for  the  state 
of  Illinois.  In  January,  1872,  he  was  called 
to  Washington  and  offered  the  position  of 
first  deputy  commissioner  of  internal  revenue. 
He  accepted,  and  held  that  place  until  his 
death.  General  Sweet  died  on  the  1st  day  of 
January,  1874,  at  Washington,  D.  C,  aged 
forty-one  years,  eight  months,  and  eight  days. 
The  cause  of  his  death  was  acute  pneumonia. 
He  was  ill  only  a  few  days,  and  his  death  was 
a  cruelly  sudden  and  unexpected  blow  to  his 
family  and  his  many  devoted  friends.  General 
Sweet's  family  were  all  living  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  except  his  eldest  son,  Lawrence, 
who  died  August  lOth,  1872.  The  death  of 
this  son  was  a  terrible  affliction  to  the  General, 
and  his  spirit  never  recovered  from  the  weight 
193 


J^miini^cfncc.0  of  €i)tcago 

of  this  sorrow.  On  the  last  day  of  the  Gen- 
eral's life,  when  all  hope  of  recovery  was 
over,  he  spoke  many  times  of  his  family  in 
words  of  anxiety  and  affection.  Throughout 
his  sickness  he  was  calm,  courageous,  and 
cheerful.  He  died  as  he  had  lived,  like  a  man 
whose  soul  no  terrors,  no  suffering,  no  sorrow, 
could  shake.  He  lived  through  struggles, 
sorrow,  wounds,  poverty,  and  discourage- 
nient,  bravely,  resolutely,  calmly,  and  undis- 
mayed; and  as  he  lived,  so  he  died.  Chicago 
will  not  fail  to  hold  his  inestimable  service  in 
grateful  and  honored  remembrance.  When 
monuments  are  built  to  perpetuate  the  memory 
of  her  preservers  and  heroes,  let  none  rise 
higher  than  that  on  which  stands  the  statue  of 
General  B.  J.  Sweet. 

As  an  evidence  that  republics  are  not  always 
ungrateful,  I  beg  to  add  that  his  accomplished 
daughter.  Miss  Ada,  was  her  father's  chief 
clerk  while  pension  agent,  and  also  served  in  the 
same  capacity  under  Mr.  Blakeslee.  In  April, 
1874,  President  Grant  appointed  her  pension 
agent  in  this  citv,  and  it  is  the  highest  possible 
compliment  to  her  that  no  office  in  the  country 
is  conducted  with  more  accuracy  and  success. 
While  the  last  vestige  of  Camp  Douglas  must 
soon  be  swept  away,  and  its  place  and  history 
will  only  be  known  to  the  historian  and  the 
curious  antiquary,  the  memory  of  her  patriotic, 
noble  father  will  become  brighter  and  more 
highly  honored  as  the  ages  roll  onward. 
194 


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